Sure, the whole "temporary vehicle paint" idea was a fine concept if you adored hassles, but Nissan scientists at TK have a much cleaner approach for those who appreciate easy. The effect is paint color change at the press of a button, and the secret is a "special polymer containing paramagnetic iron oxide particles," which is applied to the whip's exterior; an "applied electric current then adjusts the spacing of small crystals within the iron oxide particles, and therefore affects their ability to reflect light and change color." Essentially, vehicles could rock a default color when turned off, and then your imagination could go wild once you turned over the ignition. If all goes well, expect to see commercial applications ready to roll by the time Fast and the Furious: 10 Times 2 Many hits theaters (or 2010, whichever comes first).

[Via Autoblog]

Update: Sounds like Nissan expressed some interest and / or viewed a demo of the tech, but isn't actually the developer. Quite in fact, we're not entirely sure which scientists claimed to have developed this tech in the first place, but we'll let you know if more details become available.

Who among us has not been thwarted by the microwave at some point -- constantly having to heat and reheat, trying to get our food at that perfect temperature. While some take the smart appliance approach, those who enjoy a low-tech aesthetic might be interested in The Added Touch's color changing spoons. Each one is heat-sensitive and adjusts hue when your food reaches 120 degrees F, indicating that it is ready. While being the only color changing spoon we have seen that didn't come in a cereal box, it might also be the only one in our dish rack that doesn't melt or get to sparking when left in the ol' nuker.

[Via Core77]