Gizmag News - Plug-in hybrid Can-Am Spyder in the works

Welcome to the newsletter for gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for January the 4th, 2011. Plug-in hybrid Can-Am Spyder in the works Since its launch in 2007, Bombardier Recreational Products’ (BRP) Can-Am Spyder roadster has carved a unique place for itself with its distinctive Y-architecture – two wheels in the front and one in the back – which gives the vehicle the open-air exhilaration of a motorbike combined with the stability of a four-wheeled vehicle. We were duly impressed by our first test ride on the three-wheeler back in 2008, but now a new take on the Spyder is on the horizon. As part of the Canadian government’s efforts to boost that country’s automotive research and development, a project is underway to develop a hybrid version which aims to equal the performance of the current Rotax 998cc V-Twin powered model. Read More The perfect box for all shapes This one-size-fits-all packaging concept delivers an efficient way to send an item by reducing bulk and cost while keeping your goods safe from bumps and scrapes in transit. The clever Universal Packaging System (UPACKS) system – not be confused with UPS (United Parcel Service) – from designer Patrick Sung uses perforated sheets made from recyclable corrugated cardboard that can snugly pack almost any shaped item, whilst reducing the need to pad-out empty spaces. Read More SmartFish Technologies releases shapeshifting Engage ergonomic keyboard We first came across SmartFish Technologies’ ergonomic Engage Keyboard at CES 2010 when it was known as the ErgoMotion keyboard. Ahead of CES 2011, where the keyboard will has been named a 2011 Best of Innovations Honoree, the company has now announced its release to the buying public. Read More Ocean Empire LSV – designs for the world’s first self-sufficient zero carbon superyacht Earlier this year Sauter Carbon Offset Design unveiled its Super Nova 60 megayacht – a design which harnesses energy from a variety of sustainable sources including solar, wind and waves to produce "the world’s first carbon neutral megayacht." Now the company has gone one step further with plans for its Ocean Empire Life Support Vessel (LSV). This 144-foot Catamaran design adds hydroponic farming to its array of sustainable technologies making it, according to the designers, the world’s first totally self-sufficient zero carbon LSV ... meaning it could theoretically stay at sea indefinitely. Read More Japanese scientists produce artificial palladium Japanese researchers have used nanotechnology to develop a process which resembles something out of a 16th Century alchemy textbook. Although not producing gold, as was the aim of the alchemists, the scientists have discovered a technique that allows otherwise inert elements to be combined to form new intermediate alloy-elements. So far, an alloy of palladium has been created by mixing silver and rhodium together. Read More Anti Sleep Pilot detects drowsy drivers According to a 2008 study by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, about 20 percent of all road traffic accidents are caused by driver fatigue. Tired motorists are also eight times more likely than rested motorists to get in an accident, displaying driving abilities similar to those of someone who is intoxicated. The problem is, we often don’t know when we’ve reached that “too tired” state – a situation that the Anti Sleep Pilot was created to address. The Danish-designed device sits on your dashboard, monitoring you and your driving conditions, and lets you know when it’s time to pull over and take a ten-minute rest. Read More Lupin seeds used to create low-fat meat protein alternatives There are definitely two schools of thought as to whether or not humans should have meat in their diet, but even many non-vegetarians claim that the production and consumption of animal protein could definitely stand to at least be scaled back, both for environmental and health reasons. It has been estimated that it takes 40 square meters (48 sq. yards) of land to produce one kilogram (2.2 lbs) of meat, while 120 kilograms (265 lbs) of carrots or 80 kilograms (176 lbs) of apples could be raised within that same space. Obesity and cardiovascular disease, meanwhile, have been linked to high-fat diets – diets which often include things like sausages and hamburgers. With concerns like these in mind, researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging have developed food ingredients derived from lupin seed proteins, that can reportedly stand in quite convincingly for both milk and animal fat. Read More The golden secret to young-looking skin revealed? For as long as I can remember, keeping skin young and fresh has generally involved the liberal application of various moisturizing and nourishing creams with strange-sounding ingredients and an even greater number of anti-aging claims. Spain's Nylstar has managed to bind an important component of skin with 24K gold at a nanoscale level to create NYG nanoparticles. The new nanomaterial is then integrated with nylon fibers to make something called Nylgold dermawear, which is said to have a nourishing and protective effect on the skin of the wearer. Read More The album's on the button badge Like many folks, when I was a youngster I used to wear lots of button badges to proudly show what bands I liked. Imagine how cool it would be to allow friends to plug a set of earphones into your badge and let them listen to your favorite bands too. That's exactly what the Playbutton MP3 player will allow you to do. Each device will carry one album's worth of music, have controls on the back to play and skip tracks and adjust EQ, and contain a Li-ion battery for up to five hours of continuous playback. Read More Researchers develop interactive, emotion-detecting GPS robot While computer systems are now very capable of recognizing vocal input, they offer minimal interactive feedback. A team of Cambridge University researchers have now developed a system that can not only detect a user's emotional state, but can also make expressive responses of its own. Using a robotic likeness of the godfather of the programmable computer, Charles Babbage, the team has hooked the system up to a driving simulator and created a computerized driving companion and navigator that reacts to the driver in much the same way as a human passenger. Read More Grace Digital gets colorful for CES San Diego's Grace Digital Audio has announced that it will be introducing three new Internet radios at CES 2011 in Las Vegas, all sporting color screens. If the 50,000 or so local, national and international stations are not enough to satisfy, the new batch will also gain two new services to complement existing offerings from the likes of Pandora, CBS Radio, Live365.com and NPR. They also represent the first color Internet radios with 802.11n connectivity. Read More Eye Scope gives iPhones an 8x zoom lens We’ve already seen lenses for mobile phone cameras that allow users to take macro or wide-angle photographs. Now, iPhone 3G/3GS owners can extend the capabilities of their camera phones even further, by adding on an Eye Scope 8x optical zoom lens. Given the way every little shake of the hands would show up when zoomed in that far, it even comes with its own mini tripod. Read More If you would like to refer this newsletter to a friend or colleague, please point them at our free subscription page. Please don't try to forward this email, as the formatting is unlikely to remain intact. And don't worry, we don't share email addresses. Please read our privacy policy if you are concerned. Watch for more of the best new innovations, ideas and practical technologies in your inbox. You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at http://www.gizmag.com. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here to unsubscribe. COPYRIGHT GIZMAG (C) 2011