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Georgia Tech researchers design nanowires to monitor blood pressure
If you see yourself taking an unwanted trip to the ER anytime in the next decade or so, there's a fairly decent chance you'll end up with at least one or two creepy creatures perusing some aspect of your innards. As if mechanical beings cruising through your intestines wasn't eerie enough, a team of Georgia Tech researchers have proposed a new way to constantly monitor one's blood pressure. The aptly-dubbed nanowires take advantage of the "piezoelectric effect in semiconducting zinc oxide" in order to detect minute forces as tiny "as a few piconewtones," or about the same amount needed to unzip a strand of DNA. The specially designed sensors will purportedly enable robotic nurses to continually monitor your blood pressure to take action before things get too out of hand, and of course, the "biocompatible "system would beam results wirelessly to devices in hospitals or even wrist-mounted readers so you'd know when to pop a proverbial chill pill. This should definitely suffice as a "second opinion," eh?
SnoopTunes NoeStringAttached attachment gives iPod Zune-like abilities?
Although the Zune didn't offer too much innovation in comparison to the bevy of other digital audio players out there, the wireless streaming (however effective) did have a leg up over the non-sharing competition. A California-based teenager, however, has supposedly changed all of that with her (well, her dad's) engineering efforts, as the SnoopTunes NoeStringAttached transmitter purportedly opens up the shared lines to iPod users. While you can certainly color us skeptical, the bullet-shaped device managed to grab some airtime on an MSNBC broadcast (shown after the jump), and reportedly transmits your music to other NoeStringAttached users "withing a 15 foot radius," touts five separate channels for non-chaotic field trip usage, and only runs you about $60 for an entire kit. While the slapped-together eBay sales page doesn't elaborate on what type of transmitting protocol is being utilized, we're here to inform you that this thing most certainly won't allow you to beam your song to another iPod -- not even for a measly 72 hours. Truth be told, we're not even sure this thing actually functions as advertised, but even if it does, we really hope you don't mind following your new best friend around fairly close if you're interested in tuning in to what they have to listen to.[Via Wired]
Automatic waffle maker simplifies breakfast
With all the flowers starting to bloom and bunny rabbits (stuffed or otherwise) beginning to emerge, we're sure it won't be long before you're busting out the Wham-o Peeps maker, but if you've been pondering a way to make those hearty breakfasts pop out a tad quicker, we've got just the thing. Apparently, a group of waffle-lovin' kiddos have concocted an automated machine that not only opens and closes on queue, cooks and unloads the finished waffle onto your plate, and closes back for easy cleanup, it even boasts a tiltable pail filled with waffle mix and a funnel so that filling the hot iron is no longer your (messy) responsibility. The project was crafted at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and looks to be constructed primarily of wood, strings, and pulleys, and while we certainly wouldn't recommend that novice DIYers try this unaided, be sure and hit the read link for a look at waffles made easy.
Remote Wrangler straps remotes, gizmos to your noggin
Let's face it, not everyone can afford to go out and blow hundreds of dollars on a swank universal touchscreen remote or home automation system in order to simplify their life, and for those who are forced to juggle the half-dozen or so remotes required to bring their AV system to life, this here invention is for you. The clever, albeit ungainly Remote Wrangler is a unique (and admittedly unsightly) piece of headgear that turns your average couch potato into a professional wrestler wannabe, and also creates a remote control magnet all around one's face. By utilizing the oh-so-versatile Velcro, this device enables remotes, iPods, junk food, Wiimotes, caffeine pills, and an essentially limitless amount of other objects to flank your dome, theoretically saving you hours on end hunting under murky couch cushions for long lost controllers. As if this weren't enough to warrant an immediate purchase, it also doubles as a battery-powered temporal massager, and while we can't confirm, it looks to come in several editions including one with a built-in afro for the disco set. So if you're single (or would like to be), have no friends whatsoever, and don't even mind personal humiliation, keep an eye out for the Remote Wrangler to hit electronics prank departments sometime in the distant future.
Colorado researchers edging closer to tabletop X-rays
Although improvements on the typical X-ray are being made quite frequently of late, a team of researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder is hoping to make a huge leap forward in the way we're forced to handle these traditionally burdensome machines. In an effort to reduce the size required to install and utilize your average X-ray machine, the crew has purportedly developed a new technique to "generate laser-like X-ray beams" that avoid the existing need for such a "monstrous power source." The end goal is, of course, a tabletop device that can handle uber-high resolution imaging at a fraction of the cost and size of current units. It all starts by using "a powerful laser to pluck an electron from an atom of argon and then slam it back into the same atom," which then bypasses the typical problem of X-ray waves "not marching in step" by sending "weak pulses of visible laser light into the gas in the opposite direction of the laser beam generating the X-rays." The feeble beam reportedly "manipulates the electrons plucked from the argon atoms" in order to perfectly intensify the strength of the process by "over a hundred times." Essentially, the researchers have devised a more controlled way to perfect the timing of X-ray blasts, and are utilizing light to focus the process rather than using gobs of energy as it hopes enough undirected beams strike the intended area. Per usual, we've no idea just how close this idea is to becoming ready for the commercial world, but considering all the competition that's currently out there, we don't envision these Buffs wasting any precious time.
Novel Concepts' IsoSkin dissipates heat without the fan noise
Novel Concepts is probably just hopping on the "stop the overheating" bandwagon, but nevertheless, the firm's latest, um, novel idea is to eliminate those bulky, air-sucking PC fans by creating an ultrathin heat spreading material to coat toasty parts. Dubbed IsoSkin, the material comes in at just 500-microns thick, and the company insinuates that it could eventually be used to replace the "outer skin of portable electronics," further doing away with the need for internal heatsinks and fans. Notably, the sheets are purportedly able to "dissipate heat 20 times more effectively than copper," or transferring about 250-watts, while weighing in 60-percent lighter than the material it hopes to leapfrog. Utilizing planar capillary technology, the IsoSkins could reportedly be "manufactured for pennies per square centimeter," and considering that several microprocessor and electronics companies are already testing this stuff out, maybe the next wave of lappies won't require firefighter-grade pants to use safely.[Via ExtremeTech]
Parasitic device adds baud modem tones to your wireless router
For those who are lucky enough to have only known the internet care of broadband, you might be a bit unfamiliar with the pings and screeches of days past, but for those all too familiar with dialing up in an attempt to hop on the world wide web, you could probably hum it back on command. In yet another instance of DIY creativity being used in a completely unnecessary (albeit very retro) manner, Jonah Brucker-Cohen is developing the Forward Compatible, which is a "parasitic object" that utilizes a light sensor in order to sense when a modern day modem / router is transmitting data, and subsequently belts out tones from a 2,400 baud modem from yesteryear. The FC is also designed to simply strap onto any internet-connected device without internal modifications, making it completely portable and universal in nature. So if you're interested in adding a dash of vintage to your otherwise fresh device, grab yourself an audio recording circuit, a photo-transistor, and tag the read link for a bit of old fashioned fun.[Via MAKE]
xBot dictates Xbox 360 controller, racks up gamer points
We've heard of using a Wiimote to handle home automation tasks, but building a device in order to create an automated Xbox 360 controller is another animal entirely. An intrigued and efficiency-minded individual set out to to achieve an additional 60 Xbox Live gamer points by trudging through 1,000 Death Matches and 1,000 Dark Ops rounds, all without him actually being there. Thus the xBot automator was born -- a robotic dictator that was programmed to simply hit the start and B buttons on a timed interval in order to progress through all the matches needed in order to snag the oh-so-coveted points. Essentially, the completely non-intrusive machine utilizes two rotational solenoids driven by a TTL (Transistor to Transistor Logic) controller, and while the actual programming steps were indeed a bit more in-depth, the creator isn't divulging all of his secrets just yet. So if you think you've got the DIY skills necessary to concoct one of these yourself, and would rather spend "around 10 hours" piecing together an automating machine rather than 40 (or more) hours in Perfect Dark: Zero, be sure to hit the read link for a few more deets on the whole process, and click on through for a live demonstration.[Via Digg]
Good Vibrations shoes pack built-in rumble feature
Now that you're packing a cellphone with a vibrating touchscreen, have glasses that rattle your brain if you try to get a bit of shut-eye, and nod your head to the beat of your rumbling headphones, why not put a little shake in your shoes, too? The cleverly named Good Vibrations might sport a website that was probably built in Marky Mark's heyday, but the kicks it sells claim to be therapeutic in nature. The thick-soled shoes feature a non-stick grip, on / off switch, and a rechargeable battery that reportedly provides around five hours of feet shakin' therapy. Designed to massage away the aches and pains throughout the day rather than after the damage is done, these unisex slip-ons are constructed with Spandex, lined with suede, and just might cause fits of laughter if you're the ticklish type. The Good Vibrations shoes are strangely available in just four sizes, leaving most of you with a bit too much (or too little) room inside, but for just about 60 bucks, the fun factor here is probably enough to put aside the fact that they aren't likely to fit.[Via AmericanInventorSpot]
MIT researchers cram optical circuitry on a silicon chip
It looks like MIT is raising the bar yet again, as this time it's taking a break from crafting autonomous UAVs and stackable vehicles to cram optical circuitry on your everyday silicon chip. In an effort to "integrate the optical circuitry with electronic circuitry" on the same silicon wafer, researchers have devised a method which will harness the "enormous power of light waves in networks" while offering up a way to manufacture the circuitry cheaply. The crew has reportedly already been playing around with a working prototype, and suggests that it could eventually "redefine how optical networks are built." Moreover, the development addresses the existing "signal weakening over distance" issue in fiber optic transmissions by "splitting the light beams as they pass through a circuit, rotating one of the polarized beams, and finally rejoining them on their way out of the circuit, which retains the signals' strength." While there's no projection of when this technology could actually hit the mainstream, anything that makes it less expensive to rollout FiOS (and similar networks) to more people most definitely has our vote.
US Air Force getting Matrix-style camera to see bullets in slo-mo
Apparently, the US military forces have hired some seriously good R&D help, as we've seen the Navy's 8-Megajoule railgun, the Army's war-tested iRobots, and now the Air Force has something of their own to boast about. Nova Sensors of Solvang, California has designed the Variable Acuity Superpixel Technology (VAST) system, which is reportedly capable of tracking "anything slower than a bullet," but the shifty part is that this camera can home in on speeding shells as well, hopefully lending a hand in protecting soldiers in the years to come. The machine focuses on heat bursts emitted in the infrared range by moving bullets in order to detect an incoming projectile; ideally, it would be connected to "active armor" that could move, expand, or otherwise protect an individual or a entire platoon if a stray (or purposeful) bullet was headed their way. The system includes software that "mimics the fovea in human and animal eyes," and essentially provides high-resolution focal points of the incoming shells while making everything else low-resolution in order to showcase what's really important life-threatening. While we're fairly certain these guys won't be coming out with a commercial rendition suitable to block those laser-guided office missiles that nail you in the kneecap every morning, be sure to click on through for a short demonstration of VAST in action.
Kunihiro Tsuji's water-based MODAL loudspeaker
We've seen our fair share of strange, outlandish, overly heavy, and even ocean-related speakers before, but Japanese "sound space designer" Kunihiro Tsuji has crafted a sound reproducing medium that just might make the fishes a bit envious. The MODAL Water Speaker will be presented at this year's Milano Design Week, and aside from belting out tones, it sports quite a peculiar (albeit impressive) design scheme. The presumably monophonic speaker "transmits sound via a resonance box filled with water," and features four surrounding support beams that hold a long vase of liquid, topped off with a loudspeaker that sits atop the water's surface. Although we're not savvy on the RMS rating, price, or availability outside of the design show, we appreciate the ingenuity if nothing else, but just thinking about how our favorite artists would sound gargling a mouth full of water while singing certainly gives us pause. Click on through for the full, unadulterated (and uber-lengthy) photo.
Inventor crafts inexpensive gesture-based 3D touchpad
While there's been boasting galore about gesture-based keyboards, scanners, phones, and more keyboards, it looks like an elusive inventor has crafted yet another "3D touchpad" which can be moved around and placed on (or under) nearly any keyboard that you'd like to implement gesture-based technology on. As with similar renditions, the pad can detect movements of your hand floating above it, and can create inputs not always possible on a typical keyboard. Interestingly, this flavor can purportedly work on standard boards, underneath laptop boards, and even under the "screen of a PDA or cellphone." While our skeptic gear is still zipped on tight, it's said that a few working examples are already out of the lab, and that the special antennas capable of picking up hand movements wouldn't cost much more than it did to insert "scroll wheels into mice." We'll let the peculiar analogy slide if this thing hits the market for a competitive price, deal?[Thanks, Kerunt]
AIST turns transparent glass into mirrors to conserve energy
We've seen two-way displays and undercover mirrors before, but the latest two-faced invention to come from the depths of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) can pull double duty in regard to purpose and save a little energy in the process. The "switchable glass" has certain reflexive properties created by the twin coatings of "40-nanometer-thick magnesium-titanium alloy, plus a 4-nanometer-thick layer of palladium," which allows for the mirror to become transparent when a small amount of hydrogen is introduced between the two panes. Alternatively, tossing in a bit of oxygen forms a reflecting mirror, allowing users to "switch" the glass by injecting gases. Contrary to other commercialized approaches, this rendition can purportedly result in up to a "30-percent savings in energy costs" by having to run your air conditioner less, but there's still work to be done. Scientists at the AIST are still toiling away as they try to fight the relatively rapid deterioration that occurs from "frequent switching," but if they can add a dash of durability and get the price down to a respectable level, we could all be living in a house of mirrors before too long.[Via PlasticBamboo]
Apple patents access system for bottom-loading optical drive
While Apple still seems to be toying with the idea of getting LED-backlit LCDs into its MacBook Pro, a few clever engineers behind tightly sealed Cupertino doors have been chewing on another concept. Based on two recent patents belonging to Apple, it seems as if the company is investigating ways to get its already-thin laptop lineup even slimmer, and its going after the optical drive first and foremost. Based on the wording and diagrams found in the filings, we could end up seeing optical drives mounted underneath of the laptop in order to free up that oh-so-precious space underneath the palm rest. Additionally, the patent includes detailed information about accessing the disc drive in ways that won't hinder efficiency while computing, as well as various "active user interface" mechanisms designed to prevent users from "accidentally" ejecting their disc. So while there's sure to never be a public word spoken from Jobs & Co. about this potentially fictitious idea, we definitely wouldn't complain about a trimmed down version of Apple's lappies, but if this ends up seeing the light of day, we can probably kiss those awkward-sounded slot-loading drives a fond farewell.[Via UnwiredView]Read - Apple's access system for a portable device patentRead - Apple's disk drive media access patent
Buzzing, copter-inspired Blowfly alarm clock goes on sale
We see far too many fabulous ideas that simply never make it to market for one reason or another, but after a lengthy stint in proverbial purgatory, the Blowfly alarm clock has hit production. The design looks a bit more mainstreamed that previous conceptions, but the functionality remains in tact and looks to be the perfect annoyance to force you to rise in the early AM. Sporting a shiny black base, blue backlit LCD, large-format numbers, and the obligatory mini-copter launcher, this alarm clocks purportedly blasts the chopper into the air whenever you're supposed to awake, and unless you get up, catch the flying object, and place it back into the clock, that awful screeching nose simply will not cease. So if you're the world's worse snooze abuser, and you don't mind stumbling around your room with eyes half closed, you can cure that late arrival syndrome for just DKK299 ($53).[Via GadgetReview]
Researchers catch a whiff of "aroma fingerprints"
While we've already seen just how savvy dogs are at scouting out cellphones, researchers around the globe have teamed up to find out how pups distinguish the aromas that each individual emits, and the result is a highly influential electronic nose. Now if the boys in blue can't track you down via fingerprint, EEG signatures, or just looking at those guilt-filled eyes, it looks like your "aroma fingerprint" just might find you out anyway. The team has uncovered that each human has at least 44 chemical compounds in their odors that can be distinguished, and aside from assisting in identification, can be used in forensic studies to determine true causes behind crimes, deaths, or other misdemeanors. It's even stated that this new technique can assist officials in learning about one's "gender, lifestyle, whether or not they smoke, recent meals, and stress levels." Of course, criminals could be shaking in their boots, but until the scientists find a way to sniff through "deodorant and perfume," we can't exactly count on this being reliable.[Via Spluch]
Fujitsu achieves another storage milestone using patterned media technology
Although it seemed that Seagate was comfortably at the forefront of magnetic recording developments, Fujitsu is hoping that its latest "breakthrough" will add a little friction to the areal density competition. Using patterned media technology, the firm "was able to achieve a one-dimensional array nanohole pattern with an unprecedented 25 nanometer pitch," which essentially means that recording one-terabit per square inch onto HDDs of the future is now realizable. Additionally, the company also revealed a new development "involving perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) read / write operation on random patterned media," which utilizes the soft underlayer (SUL) as the PMR media. As expected, the presenters weren't as forthcoming about when we'd actually see these achievements make a difference in our laptops, servers, and other HDD-equipped devices, but the sooner the better, okay Fujitsu?
Glide toaster gives breakfast bread a new flair
Sure, toasters have gotten bigger, more colorful, and more likely to burn down your house since its conception, but unlike refrigerators, dishwashers, and microwaves, this cooking utensil just hasn't gotten much attention over the years. Enter George Watson, a clever design guru with an engineering heart, who has crafted the best thing since sliced toasted bread, the Glide. This primarily white ceramic toast cooker boasts a simplified design, a single-feed toaster, and a V-shaped rack to hold the toast for use on the kitchen table. Twin hot plates heat the bread as the motorized unit pulls it through, and a handy button on the front increases or decreases the speed in which it passes -- you know, to satisfy those who like it warm, and those who like it black. Mr. Watson's invention looks to be part of a design competition, thus we're not exactly sure if GE or Kitchen-Aid has contacted him regarding a deal, but hopefully we'll soon see these things replacing those antiquated versions we're all forced to deal with now.[Via BoingBoing]
Inventor patents automatic, no-look cooking
In a patent filing that appears to belong to Philips, an inventor is attempting to lock down the secret to no-look cooking, giving hope to clueless culinarians everywhere. The patent focuses on a method for determining the very moment during the cooking process in which the food "has reached a ready state," and seeks to use precise scales in an oven to determine exactly how much water has left the foodstuff and converted into steam in order to determine just how dry, crisp, and / or ready to devour it is. Of course, this fellow isn't the first bloke to iron out the details of automatic cooking, and interestingly enough, it seems this idea itself may have already been in the works, so we'd highly recommend consulting the folks behind Daewoo's autonomous microwave (and the subsequent technology) before boasting too proudly.[Via NewScientistTech]
