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Georgia Tech develops self-charging battery that marches to the owner's beat
One of the last times we saw the concept of a self-recharging battery, it was part of a high-minded Nokia patent whose ideas still haven't seen the light of day. Researchers at Georgia Tech are more inclined to put theory into practice. Starting from a regular lithium-ion coin battery, the team has replaced the usual divider between electrodes with a polyvinylidene difluoride film whose piezoelectric nature produces a charging action inside that gap through just a little pressure, with no outside voltage required to make the magic happen. The developers have even thumbed their noses at skeptics by very literally walking the walk -- slipping the test battery under a shoe sole gives it a proper dose of energy with every footstep. At this stage, the challenge mostly involves ramping up the maximum power through upgrades such as more squeezable piezoelectrics. Georgia Tech hasn't progressed so far as to have production plans in mind; it's nonetheless close enough that we could see future forms of wearable computing that rarely need an electrical pick-me-up.
Adidas Social Media Barricade shoe concept moves tweets to the track (video)
Adidas is known for making connected shoes -- but never quite as linked-up as a Nash Money concept making its appearance late into the London Olympics. The Social Media Barricade weaves the guts of a phone and a basic two-line LCD into a running shoe, letting the footwear take Twitter updates very literally on the run through a public account. Even the signature Adidas stripes change their hue through remote control. Before anyone gets visions of athletes checking congratulatory tweets after the 100-meter sprint, just remember that it's an idea rather than a production blueprint: although Adidas is quick to call the Social Media Barricade the "future of athlete connectivity," the only athletes putting eyes on a pair right now are those swinging by the Olympics' media lounge for interviews. Knowing this, we can still imagine some future shoes padding runners' egos at the finish line during the 2016 Rio games.
BioSoles know you're you within three steps, deter shoe bandits
It's no secret that everyone has a unique swagger -- so much so it can be used for identification. Many are working on this for biometric security, including a team at Carnegie Mellon University and Autonomous ID, who are collaborating on shoe insoles that monitor pressure and gait to confirm the identity of the wearer. So far, tests have shown a detection rate above 99 percent within just three steps, meaning they can alert you before that opportunist even makes it out of the locker room. It's thought the cloud-connected BioSoles could be implemented in security access, although we're not sure this offers advantages over similar, static technology also in development. We do, however, like the idea that subtle changes in your strut could be used to provide early indications of conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes. It's likely that the insoles won't be available any time soon, so until then, keep an eagle eye on those expensive kicks.
Nike unveils the 2011 MAG shoe, to auction off 1500 pairs of the coolest kicks in Hill Valley for charity
You remember the first time you saw Back to the Future II, don't you? We all dreamed of a world filled with hoverboards and self-lacing shoes, and now Nike's made the latter a reality... sort of. Marty McFly's favorite high tops are now called the 2011 Nike MAGs and look just like the kicks in the movie, though it appears that you'll have to lace 'em up the old-fashioned way. They'll only be on sale during a ten-day period starting tonight at 8:30PM Pacific Standard Time, and no amount of flux-capacitation can score you a pair if you miss that window. 150 sets of shoes will be auctioned on eBay's Fashion Vault each day (sorry, US bidders only), and all the net proceeds will go to The Michael J. Fox Foundation to further Parkinson's research. Not only that, all the money made will be doubled through matching contributions. Nice job, Nike, now about those hoverboards...
Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar-powered Supertrees, hydrogen racecars and LED-studded shoes
The hot summer sun sparked blazing advances in solar energy this week as Inhabitat reported that a crop of incredible solar-powered Supertrees sprouted at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay conservatory. We also saw designers float plans for a series of gorgeous sun collecting water lily islands, and speaking of flowers, we learned that scientists are breeding cold-resistant super bees that can withstand mites and disease. Scotland made waves as well when it unveiled the next-generation Oyster 800 wave energy plant, and Japan's Prime Minister signaled a sea change as he called for a complete phase-out of nuclear power. Several cities took steps away from car culture this week as a Spanish town offered residents lifetime tram passes in exchange for their cars, and JetBlue launched a set of dubious $4 flights to offset the closing of the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. We also took a look at the green technologies launched by NASA's soon to be extinct space shuttle program and we saw the unveiling of the world's first student-built hydrogen racecar. In other news, we peered into the future of consumer tech as we counted down our six most desired green upgrades for the Phone 5 and we saw Jawbone launch an app-powered wristband that promotes healthy living. LED technology also lit up our lives as Philips rolled out a beautiful new breed of luminous wallpaper and Chanel kicked of its latest fashion show with a line of LED-studded shoes. Last but not least, we spotted a set of magnetic building blocks that help Honduran families, and this week gadget expert and Engadget founder Peter Rojas closed our Ask a Tech Geek column with a look at six great ways to charge your gadgets with renewable energy. If you're thirsting for more, don't miss Peter's posts about fine tuning your laptop to save energy, vanquishing vampire energy drain, and recycling your old cables and chargers!
Engadget interviews Dwyane Wade: the technology behind the Fly Wade (video)
It's not all that difficult to peer at some gadgets without fully understanding the wizardry and magic that assists in driving them from concept to reality. Did shoes ever cross your noggin as being technologically eye-opening? Sure, a few pairs of kicks have caught our attention over the years, but could a pair of sneakers be more than just that? To answer that question, we sat down with NBA star Dwyane Wade and Jordan Brand designer Mark smith to figure out what goes in to a modern pair of kicks. Read on to introduce your brain to the latest in shoe technology. %Gallery-120428%
WeSC Karmatech concept makes your shoes more social with RFID
We've been seeing more and more shoes infused with different sorts of technology in recent years, but none quite like this WeSC Karmatech concept developed by some students at Sweden's Hyper Island "digital school." Described as a "social take on Nike+," the shoes apparently wouldn't have an accelerometer but they do pack an RFID chip that allows the wearer to interact with their surroundings -- automatically check in at a location and share it on Facebook or Twitter, for instance, or get access to exclusive deals or special events. Of course, it is just a concept, but the students note that it would be relatively cheap to implement (at least on the shoe end of the equation), as the RFID tags themselves only cost a few cents. Kinda gives a new meaning to "sneakernet," doesn't it? Head on past the break for the video.
NC State and CMU develop velocity-sensing shoe radar, aim to improve indoor GPS routing
The world at large owes a good bit to Maxwell Smart, you know. Granted, it's hard to directly link the faux shoe phone to the GPS-equipped kicks that are around today, but the lineage is certainly apparent. The only issue with GPS in your feet is how they react when you waltz indoors, which is to say, not at all. In the past, most routing apparatuses have used inertial measurement units (IMUs) to track motion, movement and distance once GPS reception is lost indoors, but those have proven poor at spotting the difference between a slow gait and an outright halt. Enter NC State and Carnegie Mellon University, who have worked in tandem in order to develop a prototype shoe radar that's specifically designed to sense velocity. Within the shoe, a radar is attached to a diminutive navigational computer that "tracks the distance between your heel and the ground; if that distance doesn't change within a given period of time, the navigation computer knows that your foot is stationary." Hard to say when Nike will start testing these out in the cleats worn by football players, but after last week's abomination of a spot (and subsequent botching of a review by one Ron Cherry) during the NC State - Maryland matchup, we're hoping it's sooner rather than later.
Power Laces 2.0 ditch the external servo and retro colors, look production-ready (video)
The self-lacing Power Laces shoes have made quite a stir since we caught sight of them back in July. Creator Blake Bevin launched a Kickstarter program to actually produce the things and, working to raise the $25k in funding needed to build 'em, Blake has created a video of version 2.0 of the shoes. This time the blue and pink are gone, as are the Nike logos (perhaps to avoid trademark and patent ramifications), replaced with a cleaner though taller silver and white design. The servo that handles the laces is now hidden in the heel, and a pressure sensor starts the lacing process as soon as you put your foot in. We like that idea, but we're not sure how comfortable walking on a servo would be. Pony up $50 to join the fund and you can be among the first to find out.
Nike Air Maxes get a Wii Balance Board infusion
Recently Nike -- a shoe company that seems to enjoy a side dish of tech from time to time -- challenged 78 artists to "hack" its shoes and come up with something decidedly different than your typical Air Force Ones. Now, a lot of the projects were more art and less tech, but that can't be said for entrant Nick Marsh's contribution to the experiment. The designer fused the internals of a Wii Balance Board with a pair of Air Maxes to create a gaming experience that may not be nuanced, but certainly seems capable of making you break a sweat. According to Nick, games are played exactly as they would have been previously, but since you can't step of the board, you're required to lift your foot or sit down when you need to back off on the pressure. Nick finished the project in April, but it sounds like a slightly more polished version could be in the offing. Check out a quick video of the shoes in action after the break, and hit the source for a slew of pics.
Auto-lacing sneaker laces itself, is looking for a friend
In the future, even the most menial, second nature tasks will be automated, because why not? Taking a page from the book of Back to the Future II, a fashionable DIYer has gone ahead and brought a little piece of the future to us, with this autolacing sneaker. There's only one so far, but it's got a force sensor which reads the pressure of your foot when you put it in the shoe, and that activates the two servos which tighten the laces. There's also a switch to reverse the servo and loosen the laces. Check out the video of its operation below, and hit up the source if you want to make one (or two!) of your own.
Columbia Bugathermo hiking boots are heated, rechargeable
If you live in the northern hemisphere then you've already felt it; the cold chill that signals the onset of nature's respite. So while not slip into these Columbia Bugathermo "high-performance" hiking boots and give the Earth a trample while its defenses are down? These heated boots feature dual-heating elements with visual indicators for battery and heating levels on the outside of that Omni-Tech waterproof skin. Three temperature settings provide as little as 3-hours, or up to 8-hours, of tootsie toasting heat from the internal lithium polymer batteries. Hell, might as well bring along a gasoline-powered generator so you can recharge 'em and show mother nature her real daddy. $250 and available now.[Via besportier]
Noby Noby sneakers feature long, long laces
A photo says a thousand words, right? We think this Noby Noby Boy sneaker (sent to Kotaku) speaks for itself, turning the now-iconic BOY into a very lengthy shoelace. The concept is easy to understand, and the execution is simple and stylish. It's a reader creation, though, so don't expect to see this at a store near you.
President Bush dodges a Shaman attack
No matter what your political persuasion is, we can all find the above animation funny. President Bush had a shoe thrown at him last week, and this week we've seen the incident take on a World of Warcraft spin.The person throwing the shoe is playing an Elemental Shaman. He or she really needs to clean up their UI: as you can see in the above picture, it's not very good. Way too many buttons spaced out at odd intervals.While we were originally under the impression that the shoe throwing incident took place in Iraq, it appears via the mini-map that it actually took place in Thousand Needles. Perhaps if the President ate some Tracker Snacks he'd have avoided the incident all together, as "Ghostrunner" (aka "Greg Highway") say the buff will include reporter tracking in patch 3.0.8.And just to be completely bipartisan, after the break is a screenshot of President Elect Obama's WoW screen after he earned the "President of the United States" achievement.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
NTT's energy-generating shoes spotted without any sign of style
For shame. We know good and well engineers can concoct energy-generating garb that actually looks good enough to wear, but evidently those fashion-minded gurus weren't hired for this project. Granted, we have all ideas the image you're quizzically staring at above is NTT's first go at a pair of power-packing sandals, but there's clearly a good ways to go before these things are cute / safe enough to wear on the streets. Might we suggest shoving all that hardware inside of something? The "all hanging out" look just isn't working here.[Via TokyoMango, image courtesy of AFP / Getty]
Nike PhotoiD lets you create hideous shoes from the comfort of your cameraphone
If you get a pair of blindingly bright clown shoes in the mail a few days after a late night of drunken revelry that you don't particularly recall... well, we think we know what happened. A new service from Nike in some European countries called "PhotoiD" allows cameraphone owners to snap a picture of pretty much anything their little hearts desire, send it to a short code via MMS, and get a rendered shoe in reply that uses the picture's two most dominant colors as its highlights. If you're feeling the kicks -- 1985 Dunk hightops, if you must know -- you can even buy them, which we figure is where things really start to get interesting. Creative on Nike's part, yes, but also a danger to the good sense of shoe-wearing shutterbugs everywhere.[Via guardian.co.uk]
Custom Illuminated Confusion Nikes light up the streets, your life
Personally, we'd prefer slipping our feet into the WiFi-detecting Nike Dunks if given a choice, but it's hard to argue with the smooth factor bundled with the highly customized kicks shown above. Dubbed Illuminated Confusion, the shoes feature a pattern print with "neon green light-up lateral sides that either blink or glow." The lighting on each shoe gets powered by a single AAA cell, and you'll even get a free "custom box" with you order. And considering the $400 price tag and two to three week wait time, we wouldn't expect anything less. Vid after the jump.
Verb For Shoe "smart shoe" finally goes on sale for $700
We've been hearing about MIT spinoff VectraSense's Verb for Shoe "smart shoe" since 2004, but the company is finally taking preorders, and if you've got an extra $700, you can now blow it on some of the most ridiculous kicks ever designed. Four years and several hundred melodramatic product renders later, the basic idea is the same: an embedded computer automatically adjusts the shoe to your feet, syncs with your PC, and communicates with the shoes of others to exchange contact information. We're not sure why you'd want to drop seven Bens on this functionality (we'd rather carry a cell phone and laptop and wear non-ridiculous shoes, you know?) but hey, if you're going to be a fashion disaster, you might as well do it with wireless capabilities.
Dan "Shoe" Hsu ends long career at Ziff Davis
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Dan_Shoe_Hsu_leaves_the_1UP_Network'; [Update: 2:20PM: Shoe has posted a blog about the move, noting that his departure is "my own decision; I'm not being forced out or laid off or anything like that." Hsu writes that he plans to take "some much-needed time off" before considering future career moves.][Update 2:17PM: Ziff Davis Vice President for Editorial Simon Cox has written a blog post on the departure, noting that the move will be effective Friday, April 25.]Ziff Davis announced today that Dan "Shoe" Hsu, former editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly, will be leaving Ziff Davis "to pursue personal interests." Site Director Sam Kennedy will be taking over Hsu's current role as Editorial Director of 1UP Networks. The abrupt departure, which comes after an 11-year career with the video game news publisher, follows a Tuesday announcement that Ziff Davis Games For Windows magazine would be going to an online-only format effective immediately. It's not immediately known what Hsu plans to do next. Kennedy will also maintain his current role as editor-in-chief of the online gaming news portal.Hsu started working for Ziff Davis in April 1996. He briefly wrote for start-up Gamers.com from April 2000 - 2001 before returning to Ziff Davis and becoming editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Hsu was promoted to editorial director last year, when former Editorial Director John Davison left Ziff Davis to start parents gaming guide What They Play.
Fancy Shoes, high heeled holders for your mobile
Always on the hunt for fun holders for our mobiles, "Fancy Shoes Cell Phone Holders" do seem to fit the bill quite nicely -- that is, of course, if frilly ceramic shoes are your thing. While they may not float or charge your phone, they do arrive in a shoebox with lovely color label and some tisue paper. From the "Madelyn" -- a pink boa heeled number -- to cowboy boots, they do seem to run the gamut in footwear, and for only $14.95 they fall right into the inexpensive gift category. Sadly we're a little miffed at the lack of a wooden clog style, but hey, ya can't have everything.
