(photos: Lilliputian Systems) Brookstone Fuel Cell Portable Charger | US$tba | www.brookstone.com

we love gadgets but like all geeks, we have only one gripe in general: the batteries don’t usually last long enough for us to fully utilize our gadgets’ features. yes, we do have portable batteries or chargers to give our gadgets a dose of juice when our they are low in juice but these batteries are still based on lithium-ion battery, who’s technology is pretty much stagnant. of course, makers can keep upping the capacity (thus increasing its physical size) for more charges but that would defeat the whole idea of portability. that’s where a pocket-sized fuel cell would come in handy. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Brookstone, Fuel Cell, Gadget Accessories, Green Tech, Lilliputian Systems, Portable Charger, Sustainable Energy, Universal Charger

(photos: via DVICE) Anti-WiFi Wallpaper | US$tba

are you paranoid about scheming neighbors who will take every chance to freeload on your WiFi even if you already password protected it? well, good news for you paranoia folks, researchers at the institut polytechnique Grenoble INP and the Centre Technique du Papier have created a wallpaper that when installed in your room or home, prevents your WiFi signal from getting out. thus, preventing your neighbors from sapping off your already pathetically slow Internet. this wallpaper is coated with silver crystals that are arranged in a manner to allow it to block certain wireless frequencies, thereby keeping your precious WiFi signal from getting out of your room or house. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Centre Technique du Papier, Decorations, Innovations, institut polytechnique Grenoble INP, Network Security, Wallpaper

(photos: WeWatt) WeBike Pedal Power Seating | €9,950.00 | wewatt.be

getting regular exercises and still keeping up with your busy work schedule is next to impossible for most of us. instead of trying to stretch your time to hit the gym, you could make better use of your desk bound time to exercise and generates some useful electricity to juice up your power-hungry gadgets at the same time. sounds like a fantasy? not at all cos’ that’s exactly what Belgium-based firm WeWatt has done. it has created the WeBike, a round desk that has three seats with pedals, allowing each seated user to cycle as he or she works and generates around 230Vac / 30Watt of electrical output. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Chairs, Furniture, Sustainable Energy, Tables, WeWatt

(photos: Brutter and Bruno) Earthquake Proof Table by Arthur Brutter and Ido Bruno | US$na

not everything we featured here is about personal tech lifestyle vanity and we do appreciate efforts made by individuals or groups with hope to make this world a better place. one such example is this Earthquake Proof Table by industrial designer Arthur Brutter and professor Ido Bruno. as the name implies, it is designed to save lives, which is a good enough reason to be posted here. as we all know, school children in and around earthquake prone zones are taught to hide under their desks when there’s a slightest hint of rumble. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Arthur Brutter, Concept Design, Earthquake, Emergencies, Furniture, Ido Bruno, Innovations, Personal Safety, Tables

(photos: Nissan) Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone Case | US$tba | www.nissan.com

automakers are no stranger in extending into lifestyle products, so it shouldn’t be a surprise anyone when Nissan announced its Scratch Shield iPhone Case, except that this particular has more significance to it than being just an iPhone case alone. the Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone Case is touted to be the world’s first self-healing iPhone case and as the name implies, it is an iPhone case that will quickly mend fine scratches. pioneered by Nissan and developed in collaboration with University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials Inc., the Scratch Shield paint finish was originally developed for automotive application and is available in popular Nissan vehicles like the Murano, 370Z, X-Trail, as well as the Infiniti product range. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone Case, Nissan, Prototype, Research Projects

(image: RWTH Aachen University) BendDesk | US$na | hci.rwth-aachen.de

even in this so-called digital age, our workspace is far from being digitalized and up till now, there isn’t yet been any real breakthrough. you know, as it is, we are still stuck in the monitor, keyboard and mouse era but the BendDesk developed by the Media Computing Group at the RWTH Aachen University may just gives us an insight as to what lies ahead of us. instead of having a vertical display along with input peripherals on a horizontal surface, the BendDesk combine the two separate spaces into one, which allows continuous interaction between both spaces. the BendDesk is essentially a desktop computer where the entire desk itself is the computer. this computer consists of a huge curved multi-touch display that offers user a two-in-one spaces to manipulate their digital documents, photos, or videos using multi-touch gestures. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: BendDesk, Multi-touch, Research Projects, RWTH Aachen University, Tables, Touchscreen

(image: screenshot from video)

remember the Actroid-F female humanoid that we featured a year ago? well, a year on, this female robot gets a new robot brother. it’s creator, AIST, has often been pitched with the question on why they create female robot, so they decided that its high time to give the male version a go. essentially, both robots are the same in terms of its working mechanics and only the wig and some cosmetics set the brother and sister robots apart. creating a male version also allows AIST to compare the impressions made by male and female robots to the subjects. in addition to the male humanoid, the duo are now equipped with cameras placed inside their retinas, thus enabling the robots to direct their line of sight towards a subject which inherently, makes them even more life-like and believable. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: AIST, Android, Humanoid, Robotic Developments, Robots

br />(photos: Supermechanical) rev–>table | US$667.00 | supermechanical.com

remember that side table that you adores so much but have to let go because of wear and tear? traumatic experience, huh? but that need not be the case if its superbly built like this rev–>table as engineered by MIT startup, Supermechanical and even if it does break a leg or two, its laser etched barcode aluminum plate on the tabletop contains the blueprint which allows you to recreate part of the table or the whole table even when the product is discontinued. now, who says beautiful does not last? the table top is made from solid wood and the legs are of laser cut item from “cold-rolled steel, bent on computer-controlled press brakes.” and topped with “an industrial-grade powdercoat” that ensures its longevity, and if it doesn’t, there’s always the digital DNA with the table’s blueprint to fall back on. all you need is a smartphone that can scan the two-dimensional barcode to retrieve the stored DXF files, send it to your local machine shop and have the damaged part replaced in no time. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Blueprints, Furniture, MIT Startup, Side Tables, Supermechanical, Tables

(photos: Jonas Pfeil) Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera | US$tba | jonaspfeil.de

camera will remain as camera and as such, the words ‘concept camera’ is not something we often hear in the imaging world but that’s exactly what the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera is. in a nutshell, this concept camera (with working prototype, i might add) that is shaped and handles like a ball, comprises of 36 fixed-focus 2.0-megapixels mobile phone camera modules mounted in a robust, 3D-printed enclosure that is foam padded, and has built-in accelerometer and a bunch of proprietary circuitry which enables the ball to take a panoramic snap while it is in the air. yes, the idea is that you have to throw this baby up into the sky and the built-in accelerometer will calculate its launch acceleration and initiate a panoramic still image capturing when the ball reaches its highest point – when it’s hardly moving. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Concept Design, Digital Camera, Jonas Pfeil, Panorama Photography

(photos: Olf-action) Olf-action SMELLIT Aroma Device | US$tba | www.olf-action.fr

seriously, do we really need the smell senses when watching movies or playing games? apparently, French firm Olf-action thinks the smell sensory places an important part in enhancing our movie or gaming experience. yeah, right. provided that the movie or gaming scenes do not have folks pooping or decomposed bodies in them. gosh. do we really need them? anyway, this smelly gadget here, dubbed SMELLIT (not to be confused the concept that was launched years ago), is designed to add a fourth dimension to your home entertainment experience. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: AV Accessories, Gaming Peripherals, Olf-action, SMELLIT

(credit: BAE System)

we have been waiting for years for invisibility cloak to become a reality and that yearning has finally see some lights. Swedish defense equipment firm, BAE Systems has successfully tested its invisibility cloak technology known as Adaptiv that allows a vehicle to blend with its surrounding. of course, to make a vehicle disappear right before our eyes like James Bond’s Aston Martin is still not within human grasp but the least we could do is to evade those nasty infrared and other surveillance technology. the system is make up of lightweight hexagonal pixels that are juiced up by the vehicle’s system. each of this hand-size pixels are heated or cooled individually with semi-conducting technology that provides its invisibility capability. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Adaptiv, BAE Systems, Camouflage, Cloaking, Invisibility, Military

(image: NeuroSky) Haier Cloud Smart TV with BCI | US$tba | www.haieramerica.com

this week China-based Haier debuts the world’s first Brain-Computer Interfaced Technology (BCI) Smart TV at the IFA Messe Berlin Conference. as the name suggest, this technology lets user user their brains to interact with the Smart TV using NeuroSky ThinkGear Technology. yes, it is yet another technological advance to make use even lazier. though it looks like the brain-control functionality is more for controlling TV applications, allowing “users to develop control over their concentration and relaxation abilities through entertainment applications.” it sure does sounds like switching on/off and navigation through channels might not on the menu for now. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Brain-controlled, EEG, Haier, NeuroSky

(credit: Shane Dorian/Billabong) Billabong V1 Wetsuit | US$tba | www.billabong.com

in the air, we have parachutes as a safety measure but what if you were pinned down by big waves in the water? Shane Dorian, one of the best big wave surfers on the planet has the answer for that. his invention is the world’s first inflatable wetsuit. think of it as a parachute for water but instead of bringing you down safely, it aims to bring pinned down surfer (or anyone for any reason) safely to the surface. this innovative idea struck Shane back in 2010 where he was nearly drowned when he was pushed down 25-feet below the surface, only to be held there by two more big waves. with this idea in his head, Shane contacted Billabong wetsuit designer Hub Hubbard and the rest is history. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Billabong, Emergencies, Shane Dorian, Water Safety, Water Sports, Wetsuits

(image credit: NeuroSky/ThinkGeek) NeuroSky MindWave | US$99.99 | www.neurosky.com

if you think your brain is kind of slow in reacting, then perhaps it is time to give it some regular exercise. this is where the NeuroSky MindWave ($99.99) comes in. it is a research grade EEG headset for use with a specifically designed neuroscience meditation, mental fitness, and game applications. this futuristic looking headset is no child’s play, as it is loaded with passive sensors that measures your brainwave patterns such as attention level, meditation and eye blinking, and works in conjunction with the bundled applications. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Brain-controlled, Children, EEG, Family Games, Fitness, Healthcare, Learning, NeuroSky, ThinkGeek

(credit: screenshot from Fujitsu Next Generation Color e-Paper Module video)

during the International Digital Publishing Expo, Fujitsu demoed its next generation cholesteric LCD color digital paper which sport significant improvements in terms of brightness, contrast and color replication. unlike the traditional LCD, cholesterol LCD does not require polarizing and reflecting plates, color filters or backlights, therefore it can be thin, light and at the same time bright. with the new development, Fujitsu also changed the OS from Windows to Linux, thus improving its processing speed (oops!). currently, this concept is able to display 4,096 colors and has a writing speed of 0.7 seconds. according to Hirokazu Aritake of Fujitsu Laboratories, a trade off exists between the writing speed and the display colors which means that if they reduce the writing speed, they can actually have a full color display. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: e-Paper, Fujitsu, LCD Display, Prototype

(credit: screenshot from ‘ball-shape flying object’)

object like this tends to go viral overnight, so why didn’t i post it earlier? cos’ there are just way too many cool things to be featured and hence, i have to work on Sunday to make sure i can cover it all and on this particular Sunday, i managed to find the time to slot this in. good answer? never mind. anyway, this particular flying spherical ball is the work of Japanese Ministry of Self-Defense, which they dubbed it as ‘Ball-shape Flying Object’ (loosely translated) and is touted to be the world’s first truly spherical flying robot. don’t underestimate its harmless look as little ball, about the size of a soccer ball, is capable of zooming around at a neat 60 km/h (37 mph). it is also equally capable in narrow spaces and it can land smack on the ground, rolling to a stop while absorbing the impact. pretty cool, huh? check out a video clip of this aircraft in action after the break. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Flying Object, Japanese Ministry of Self Defense, Military, Radio Control, Reconnaissance, UAV

(credit: screen shot from iPad robot video)

i am not sure if it really did live stream at the WWDC but innovations never failed to intrigue me and hence an iPad robot that’s capable of telepresence definitely has my attention. check out a couple of short videos of the iPad robot after the break. presumably, the video was taken outside the WWDC location prior to the beginning of the conference. created by Taptic Toys, the robot uses 4G MiFi and is controlled via iPod Touch. the robot is designed around an iPad 2 and sports a slim frame down to a Segway-like base. i thought this should be how telepresence robot should look like (i.e. generous screen but with less overall bulk). pretty sleek, eh? Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: iPad 2, Robotic Developments, Robots, Taptic Toys, Telepresence

(credit: DigInfo TV)

it seems to me everything has a dose of WiFi these days and it looks like the power strip of the future will have it too. unbelievable? believe it. what you see here is a power strip developed by Japan firm Ubiquitous that has a built-in WiFi. the WiFi of the iRemoTap [JP], as it is called, enables you to monitor how much electrical energy the connected devices consume via your computer or mobile phone in real time, and that’s not all, you can even switch on or off any of those connected devices remotely. Continue Reading

Technorati Tags: Electrical Accessories, Green Tech, iRemoTap, Power Strip, Prototype, WiFi