Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Leonardo Da Vinci might have worked painstakingly on the Mona Lisa and her enigmatic smile but the crowd at Mythbusters managed their own version in less than a second at nVidia’s NVISION event this week. Of course, the duo of Adam and Jamie were going to have to pull it off in style, if they wanted to demonstrate the difference between single-core CPUs and multi-core graphics processing units (GPUs). And that they did, with the help of an 1100-barrel paint gun that fired all the paint simultaneously. The result: a pretty recognisable Mona Lisa, despite the dripping. To break it down, we are talking about 2,100 paint balls hurtling to the reinforced canvas 8-feet away in just 275ms. There are those who would argue that the experiment was too simplistic to really capture the complexity of different processor architectures but, when the show is this good, who gives a damn?-Martin Lynch [Crunchgear] technology art

Original post by nafiz

Amit Goffer, a man who was paralysed in an accident in 1997, decided to spend his spare time trying to find a solution to a problem that we’re quite frankly surprised we haven’t seen elsewhere already. The ReWalk offers paraplegics the opportunity to stand and walk and consists of motorised leg supports, body sensors and a backpack containing a control box. Unfortunately it does require the use of your arms which means Goffer can’t benefit from the system, though he is confident that there are many other people that can. Users can control the device via a wrist-band, which instructs the legs to stand, sit, walk or climb while aligning the body in such a way as to balance it effectively. The product is currently being tested and is touted for commercial sale in 2010, costing around $20,000 which is around the price of a sophisticated wheelchair. We’d be surprised if the system isn’t refined somewhat by then though, but either way it seems like an excellent idea. As Goffer states, “It’s not just about health, it’s also about dignity”. - Paul Lester [AOL] robotics technology future

Original post by nafiz

‘Waterproof’ shoes and other clothing and accessories are rarely as effective as they’re made out to be, and those sprays and polish you can buy don’t do nearly as good a job as you’d think. Boffins at UK firm Plasma Product Innovations seem to have come up with something better which it claims is capable of making any material 100% waterproof.It uses something called an ion-masking process to treat the fibres on a molecular level so every part of the product is completely covered. Rather than absorbing water this treatment repels it entirely without affecting the flexibility or qualities of the material. The company demonstrated the effectiveness of the treatment by dunking two shoes into a bucket of water, and you can see the results for yourself in the image above. Though current applications are just focusing on clothes, the company plans to branch out into other areas that might benefit, such as electronics and other materials that are susceptible to water damage, in the not too distant future. - Paul Lester [TechRadar] waterproof clothing science

Original post by nafiz

While we’re wasting out time arguing about the pros and cons of various ISPs, it’s easy to forget that not all of Britain is as tech-savvy as our modern internet-oriented world might suggest. ONS’s recent Internet Access report states that 35% of UK homes don’t have access to the Interwebz and a full 9% are still persisting with dial-up connections. Still, these figures are improved from a few years ago, when almost half the UK was going without and the take-up of broadband has since been steadily on the rise. It does seem as though we’re getting a bit more tech-savvy on the whole; two years ago 24% of people said they didn’t have web access due to lack of skills, a figure which has dropped to just 15% today. Predictably, age is deciding factor here since 70% of adults aged over 65 say they have never used the internet and are unlikely to do so, with the 16 to 24 age range going online most often. Where you live also appears to have a distinct impact since those in the northeast, the least connected region of the UK, show only 54% usage which is someway behind the south east’s 74%. These figures seem to be steadily improving year on year though, so don’t be surprised to see no more than a handful of technophobes steadfastedly refusing to join the digital age in a few years time. - Paul Lester [ZDNet] internet survey online

Original post by nafiz

When we think ‘pyramids’ we tend to think of dust, Pharaohs, gold, grave-robbing and mummies but, there’s a pioneering design firm in Dubai that believes the pyramid is long overdue a comeback and, not just for the dead. This is the stunning looking Ziggurat, a massive modern pyramid city that not only harks back to the past but will be at the cutting edge of carbon-neutral building. It should also be noted that the Ziggurat will be very, very big - if it ever gets made - measuring 2.3km square and capable of sustaining up to 1 million people. And, since it’s designed to use wind and sun to completely provide its own power, there’ll be enough juice for all your gadgets. The company, Timelinks, argues that the design allows whole cities to be accommodated in complexes which take up less than 10% of the original land surface. Transport within the structure would will be connected both vertically and horizontally so there’ll be no need for cars. Security systems will use biometrics, like facial recognition technology, to make it safer place to live too. Of course, there are issues to be overcome such as waste disposal and the question of whether or not you would like living inside a machine with a million neighbours? Check out another shot below.-Martin Lynch [World Architecture News] life city news

Original post by nafiz

So, what’s the difference between the new Squeezbox Boom music streaming system and the original Squeezbox from Logitech? Well, this time, Logitech has squeezed in some real audio power meaning you don’t have to hook this up to separate speakers. Inside is a 30Watt all-digital amplifier accompanied by two ¾in, high-definition, soft-dome tweeters and two 3in, high-power, long-throw woofers. Logitech says the bi-amplified design ‘delivers crystal clear sound with minimal noise and distortion’. There’s even a connection for hooking it up to an external, dedicated subwoofer if you need even more low-end thump. You just plug it in wherever you are at home and it will detect your network automatically. After that you can stream your tunes over an 802.11g wireless network connection or listen into thousands of Internet radio broadcasts. The Squeezebox Boom - sadly - also operates as an alarm clock, so it’s not all fun. There are 6 preset buttons for finding your favourite tracks or stations and the remote control even features a tiny magnet so that you can stick it to the unit or the fridge. It’s due for launch here in a few weeks and will cost more than the £150 US price, especially considering the existing Squeezbox costs around £180.-Martin Lynch music wireless

Original post by nafiz

There’s no shortage of of remote controlled helicopters out there but how about something completely different. This is the Draganflyer X6 helicopter, which uses six main horizontal rotor blades that allow it to hover efficiently and manoeuvre rapidly using differential thrust. All that lift means that it can be equipped with HD camcorders, night vision, still or thermal imaging cameras and because it has in-built GPS, it can be set to hover over a particular location while you go make a cuppa. Here’s what the makers say:” Aimed at industrial and commercial use, it provides reconnaissance and inspection information using on-board wireless video and still cameras. The Draganflyer X6 helicopter is able to fly autonomously or can be flown manually by remote control. The Draganflyer X6 helicopter achieves its stability by using an on-board processor running more than ten thousand lines of code and receiving data from eleven on-board sensors (three gyros, three accelerometers, three magnetometers, one barometric pressure sensor, and one GPS receiver). It can be piloted by users with minimal or zero training. The Draganflyer X6 helicopter can be put into GPS hold mode where it will maintain its position without any user input. This means that after activating GPS hold, the pilot can set the handheld controller on the ground while the Draganflyer X6 helicopter flies itself. This mode will allow the user to focus on other tasks such as aerial photography from the Draganflyer X6 helicopter. The Draganflyer X6 helicopter uses interchangeable cameras, covering different areas of use. A high definition video camera provides 1080p resolution. For dawn and dusk use, there is a low light (0.0001lux) video camera. For night use or search and rescue, the thermal FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) camera provides heat vision. High-resolution photographs can be captured with the 10.1 mega-pixel digital still camera. When using any of the camera modules.” The controller is a custom-designed handheld with a 2.8in colour OLED touchscreen. The control also receives streaming video from the X6 and passes this to the video goggles, giving you an onboard view of what’s happening. There’s no price but I want one. Check out the video of the X6 in action below.-Martin Lynch gadget spy helicopter

Original post by nafiz

This is one of those situations where we’re torn between ‘terrible idea’ and ‘kinda like it’. The Time Table is an idea from designer Ross McBride and transforms your run-of-the-mill coffee table into a gargantuan digital watch at the flick of a switch. It uses a 6cm layer of electroluminescent plastic to create the digits, which are automatically updated wirelessly to keep the correct time. There’s also a built-in alarm and timer to switch off automatically and any settings are saved so you don’t have to reprogram anything. Provided the tabletop, when the lights are turned off, retains the stylish brushed-steel look of the legs we think it’d go quite well in contemporary flats. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any information on pricing or availability, so it could well be one of those ridiculously expensive grandiose designs. If you like the idea, check out the rest of McBride’s range from the website link below, there’s some pretty funky stuff on offer. - Paul Lester [NormalDesign] table clock concept

Original post by nafiz

Wireless juice wasn’t the only thing Intel had to talk about at the recent IDF event, as chief technology officer Justin Rattner had some rather disturbing news about the future of artificial intelligence. We’ve been following the gradual takeover of the machines here on Gizmodo recently so thought it fitting to showcase Rattner’s take on the future of our robot friends (read overlords as of 2050). According to research predictions, in just over 40 years time machines could well have the reasoning power of humans, capable of independent decision making and limited only by the flexibility of their no doubt toughened and nearly indestructible exo-skeletons. “The industry has taken much greater strides than anyone ever imagined 40 years ago”, Rattner said. “There is speculation that we may be approaching an inflection point where the rate of technology advancements is accelerating at an exponential rate, and machines could even overtake humans in their ability to reason, in the not so distant future.” He also predicts that we’ll be seeing more of them. While at present they are primarily used in factories we could soon see them making their way into dynamic human environments. So there you have it. The end is nigh. At least it’s a little way off, so with any luck robots will be advanced enough to help us battle through the trials of old-age and have the decency to let us pop our clogs before they rebel and start destroying the planet. - Paul Lester [The Inquirer] robots intel future

Original post by nafiz

Anyone that has travelled with a bagful of chargers - most of us - will be interested to hear that Intel has just demonstrated wireless power at its IDF event. It may look like one of those planetary educational tools but it’s actually two metal arrays connected to a power amplifier. The arrays resonate at a particular frequency to create an energy link which transmits power between them. Based on principles proposed by MIT physicists, Intel’s Wireless Resonant Energy Link (WREL) technology was shown powering a 60W bulb without wires or plugs. It may be small potatoes just now but it points to a future when you can walk into an airport or anywhere else and use wireless power to use and charge your mobile devices. Check out Intel’s CTO, Justin Rattner, giving a chat and demo of ‘no more wires’ below.-Martin Lynch intel news energy

Original post by nafiz

I’m not sure what kind of James Bond fantasies our Gizmodo readers/spies harbour but if it’s combined with an obsession for expensive clothing, then the last thing you’ll want are evil secret agent bullets blowing your luggage and, those Gucci loafers inside, all to hell. That’s why you need the bulletproof case from Globe-Trotter, designed by well-known UK industrial designer Ross Lovegrove (iMac and those sexy KEF Muon speakers). The Air Cabin certainly looks the business, and weighs just 3lbs thanks to its use of lightweight ‘triaxial carbon/Kevlar composites’.You really can picture Daniel Craig legging it through some airport, shielding some ridiculously-named totty from a hail of gunfire with this bag. The luggage company designed the special case to commemorate 110 years of making luggage for travellers. Things must have changed if bulletproof materials are now de rigueur. The case will hit the catwalk next month at the New York Fashion Week and, while designed to withstand gunfire, it will still blow a hole in your own wallet to the tune of £1,750. Ouch! I’ll just take my chances with my three year old rucksack. It might not stop a shell from Desert Eagle .50, but it’s good in the rain which, at least this summer, is posing a bigger threat than gun-toting secret agents in Heathrow. But only just.-Martin Lynch [Bornrich] travel spy guns design

Original post by nafiz

An anonymous reader writes “We’ve been on the edge of our seats cheering on the athletes at the Beijing Olympic games — but so often do athletes’ victories and defeats rely on accurate timing. As the athletes compete on the world stage behind the scenes technology records their results. This interview with Omega’s Christophe Berthaud (video) — the company’s 23rd time as official Olympic timekeeper — explores how far the technology has come since the first time it was used in 1932.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Original post by CmdrTaco

Microsoft might want the world to believe that Vista is a massive improvement over XP but, according to new research in the US, the public strongly disagree. In fact, some startling figures indicate that 1-in-3 are downgrading their Vista PC or laptop to good old XP. Devil Mountain Software said nearly 35% of the 3,000-plus PCs it examined had been downgraded from Vista to XP. Microsoft has already had to extend the life of XP due to furious customer demand. Craig Barth, the chief technology officer of Devil Mountain, explained: “Either these machines were downgraded by [sellers like] Dell or HP, or they were downgraded by the user after they got the machine. In any case, these machines are no longer running Vista. The 35% is only an estimate, but it shows a trend within our own user base. People are taking advantage of Vista’s downgrade rights.” It seems that many have been taking advantage of Microsoft ’s end user licensing agreement (EULA), whereby Vista Business and Vista Ultimate can be ‘downgraded’ to XP Professional. Those businesses that purchase Vista Enterprise can also downgrade to XP. Barth based the stats on data provided by users to the company’s exo.performance.network, coupled with data from Infoworld, collating things like the vendor and system model number with manufacturers’ catalogs. The result was a large list of machines shipped in the last 6 months, the vast majority of which were offered with Vista as standard. The sample may not be applicable to all Vista business users but it’s certainly big enough to cause some concern. Have you downgraded lately?-Martin Lynch [Macworld] Microsoft software Windows

Original post by nafiz

There was a time when slouching in front of your parents earned a quick clip around the ear followed by ‘Sit up straight boy!’ or something like that. Technology has now been developed to replace that parent, just without the slapping and character building put-downs. The annoyingly named iPosture looks like a coin and houses the Wearable Intelligent Nano-Sensor, a microchip that monitors your Quasimodo impressions and can tell when your posture deviates by as little as 3 degrees in the wrong direction. It is worn around the neck close to the chest, or can be clipped to a bra-strap or shirt. It is controlled by a single button and can be set up easily to cope with whatever stance you find comfortable - as long as it’s not slouching. And no, it will not go off everytime you bend down but only ‘emit a warning’ when its monitoring finds that your posture has been out of correct alignment for over 1 minute. You can even pause it or turn it off too, which is good, because some of you may be tempted to smash this £50 gadget off the wall more than once. Remember though, it’s only trying to ensure that you’ll move less like a crippled crab when you’re 80. More here.-Martin Lynch [Ubergizmo] gadget health news

Original post by nafiz

The one thing that will get you noticed at nightclubs faster than virtually no clothing is clothing that glows. I’m not sure that I’d want to be drawing that kind of attention to my unsightly bits but the clubbing crowd and those who still think that Ibiza ‘Rocks’, will just love these glowing tops and ‘evening wear’ for both men and women from French outfit, Lumigram.These are the LumiTops for the outgoing set, claiming that the light from the luminous Fiber Optics Fabric luminous fabric is ’soft and sensuous’. The clothes are powered by 1.5V batteries and the clothes can be switched on and off, depending on whether or not you want to lose the groping apes that will no doubt gather as you whip around the floor like a firebug. Still, these clothes are a whole lot more professional looking than yesterday’s horrible, solar powered Eco-Tie. The clothes are priced from EUR 99 to around EUR 170 and yes, glowing clothes, no matter how techie, are still tacky. Unless you’re 7, that is. And it’s Halloween. -Martin Lynch [Inventor Spot via Lumigram] fashion gadget

Original post by nafiz