Cars that use technology to drive themselves have been talked about for several decades, but until now have only seemed to be a far-off dream. Now Google has revealed that they have cars with automated driving capabilities in development. Google has combined a camera, numerous sensors with a preprogrammed GPS system on Toyota Prius vehicles and already is performing testing. The cars have obeyed the speed limit and follow the programmed route without a hitch. Thousands of miles have been logged by the self-driving cars in real traffic. Although human drivers are behind the wheel, ready to take over in case of emergency, so far they haven’t had to intervene.
Ceatec, Japan’s largest annual electronics show, has just wrapped up for another year. One of the most popular exhibitors at Ceatec in recent years is Murata, a sensor company that creates small robots to showcase its latest ultrasonic sensor technology. This year they brought Murata Girl, a unicycling robot that maneuvers the curves of an s-shaped course, and Murata Boy, who rides a bicycle up an inclined track.
See Murata’s robots in action in this YouTube video:
The Rock-It is a portable speaker system that uses vibration to turn any object into a speaker. Simply stick the Rock-It pod to any object and the Rock-It transmitter will take sound input from an MP3 player, iPod, cell phone or other gadget and create vibrations that are broadcast from the pod. The Rock-It is powered by 2 AAA batteries or a USB connection and workd with any device that has a headphone jack.
Rock-It is produced by OrigAudio, an innovative company that also sells the Fold n’ Play Recycled Speakers, which were voted on of the 50 Best Inventions of 2009 by Time Magazine.
See inventor Jason Lucash demonstrate the Rock-It Speaker System in this YouTube video:
Sony has just released the PlayStation Move, a motion-sensing game controller that’s positioned to compete with the popular Nintendo Wii. The Move is a hand-held wand with an LED sphere that interacts with the PlayStation Eye camera to track position, while inertial sensors in the wand track 3D movement. Advance reviews say the Move has an edge over the Wii, combining precise controls with the PlayStation 3′s current-generation graphics.
See Sony’s presentation on the Move in this YouTube video:
Hybrids are becoming a popular form of transportation, and now Derringer Cycles is offering hybrid bikes. These hybrids have handcrafted frames and are styled to resemble racing bikes from the 1920s. How does a hybrid bike work? You can pedal it manually like you normally would, or you can kick-start the Honda-built engine for effortless riding. When motoring, the bike goes 300 miles on a 1.8 gallon tank.
Derringer bikes are the creation of famed industrial designer Adrian Van Anz, who at age 28 has already established a reputation for bringing extraordinary design to ordinary objects.
Solor-powered bags are the perfect home for your gadgets when you’re on the go. This handsome photovoltaic travel bag from Sakku is one of the best of the new solar-powered satchels. The sakku.traveller bag is constructed from recycled Swiss sailcloth and features a powerful 5W solar panel. Each bag is 100% Swiss made and labeled with its origin lake – a collector’s piece in the making.
The bag comes in 2 versions – 100% solar-powered or with battery. The solar-powered version will charge your gadget on sunny days only. The battery version stores solar power and can charge even on a rainy day.
Visit the Sakku website to learn more about the sakku.traveler.
George Barris, the custom car designer who created the Batmobile and other famous Hollywood cars, recently turned his attention to the Smart Car. The result is Batsmart, a one-of-a-kind Smart Car with red pinstriping, a jet blast nozzle, bat wings and a $39,500 price tag. He also created a Smart Woodie. For more information, see this article in USA Today.
See George Barris and the original Batmobile in this YouTube video
As the demand for e-readers continues to expand, Sharper Image has decided to jump into the fray. The company is best known for its store and catalog that sell high tech gifts and gadgets. Now Sharper Image has decided to complete with Sony, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, who are emerging as the leaders in the e-reader gadget category. Already, early competitors in the field like Plastic Logic have dropped out of the reace.
The Sharper Image e-reader is named “Literati” and will retail for about $160. It features a color screen and will be powered by the Kobo e-book store. The device has wi-fi connectivity and supports wireless downloads, plus free reading apps are promised for the Literati. Sharper Image plans on selling its e-reader in its own stores and in other stores including Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s, Macy’s, JC Penney and Best Buy.
When you live in a small space like a dorm room, you have to take advantage of every space-saving device possible. Here’s a handy gadget that combines all the appliances you need for a nice hot breakfast – coffeemaker, frying pan and toaster oven. The Supentown 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker combines stainless steel and heat-resistant glass into the ultimate multitasking breakfast machine. While your coffee brews, crack an egg into the frying pan and pop a piece of toast into the toaster oven. By the time you’re done checking your email breakfast will be waiting!
The 3-in-1 Breakfast maser is available for just $45 at Target. Since the start school year will be upon us soon, check out some other great dorm gadgets here.
Digital media such as CDs can be ripped, copied and backed up, but did you ever think you could backup vinyl records? Now Mike Nese’s DO IT website has instructions for making a silicon copy of a vinyl record. Mike is the co-host of Punkin’ Chunkin’ and Catch It Keep It on the Science channel, so he seems to know what he’s talking about. He’s also a contributor to Wired and ReadyMade magazines. On his website he also explains how vinyl records are made, which is a fascinating topic in itself. Visit the DO IT website to and see if you think you’d like to try to copy a record.
