Tech Wise [26th October, 2008]

http://thedailystar.net/campus/2008/10/03/tech.htm

Motorola Aura arrives

Love it or hate it, you have to respect Motorola for loosening the reins of design and announcing the premium Aura handset. Inspired by high end watches, the phone’s switch blade design alone is driven by over 200 parts130 of them ball bearings used to open the handset up to an estimated 100,000 times before failure.

The display is the product of fine crafting as well. Just 1.55-inches in diameter, this circular cellphone screen features 16 million colors and 300 dpi clarity, plus it’s coated with 62-carat sapphire crystal to prevent scratching.

Internally, the phone is quad band with GPRS and EDGE featuring 7.3 hours of talk time, 2GB of internal memory, AGPS and 2MP camera. And when it goes on sale December 4th (USA), it will carry the hefty pricetag of $2,000 (approx. 140,000 BDT)!!

---

A (very expensive) Ferrari Hydroplane Replica!!

Fans of classic speedboats can now re-enact one of the most exciting races ever in their backyard pool with the remote controlled Ferrari Arno XI Hydroplane. The boat is a 1:10 replica of the Arno XI, which zoomed to a 1953 record-shattering 150.49mph! It’s almost 3 feet in length, weighs 16 pounds and can be controlled from up to 500 feet away for 30 minutes per two-hour charge.

The price for playing with the dreamboat of the 1950s is $2000 as well (approx. 140,000 BDT).

---

Casio’s EX-FH20, the “Budget” Super-Slow-Motion Cam

Here’s the all-new $600 (approx. 42,000 BDT) EX-FH20 Super-Slow-Motion Camera from Casio. It definitely looks like a winner. Slightly slimmer than the earlier model, it also has a cleaner UI making it easier for a novice to use. 1000fps slo-mo video works well, and the 40fps burst mode also has good performance prerecording images in order to capture the perfect moment, even if you have a slow trigger finger. It is expected to be available in US markets soon.

---

The Asus Eee S101, Slim and Air-y..

The Asus Eee S101 seems to be the prettiest looking netbook since the birth of the category. It’s 2.2 lbs., extremely light and thin, and the chrome finish on the trackpad area is much better looking than the generic plastic of similar models. The 10.2-inch matte screen is compact without straining your eyes, and the keyboard feels bigger than the original Eee’s.

Information & Image Source: Gizmodo Website

Tech Wise [19th October, 2008]

http://thedailystar.net/campus/2008/10/02/tech.htm

Fryer Spins Fried Food To Knock Out Fat

Rejoice, culinary neophytes everywhere! George Foreman, a former boxer turned kitchen gadget man has put out a deep fat fryer. You can now look forward to the smell of burning oil and deep fried everything coming soon from your nearby place.

Foreman’s Lean Mean Fryer uses a “Smart Spin” technology after the food’s been fried to allegedly whirl out 55% of the fat absorbed during frying using centrifugal force. Scientific explanation behind this claim has not yet been given, but for anyone who’s interested, this cooking masterpiece is now available in North America for $150 (approx. BDT 10,500 ).

---

Lego Radiator’s now available

Winter is drawing near and it is time to prepare for it. The “Brick”the latest product designed for the Italian company Scirocco is out and apparently, a Lego motif actually makes for a thermally-efficient radiator.

The enhanced surface area of the blocks helps to spread heat more effectively, and each brick has a double plumbing connectionone for the heating system and one that allows you to snap together the bricks like actual Legos. How much all of this will cost to install is unknownbut nothing of this sort ever comes cheap!

---

9,000-Square-Foot Spaceship Built in Germany

A new 9,000-square-foot, 3-story spaceship called “Second Solar” has just been constructed in the German city of Böblingen, designed to travel to distant solar systems to research inhabitable environments. It’s loaded up with “giant engines, a thermal shell to protect the crew and landing runners designed to cope with unknown surface conditions.”

Yes, and most importantly, it has been designed for children..

---

America’s Biggest Universities Build 78-Terabyte Library!

23 of the biggest public and private universities in California, Michigan, Virginia, Illinois and other states of USA have announced a 2-million book online library made of 78 terabytes of information, 16 percent of which are free of copyright and ready for public consumption.

The Hathi Trustnamed in the spirit of wisdom, memory and strength after the Hindi word for “elephant”will be an amazing repository of data. Currently its bibliography, containing the physical equivalent of 1,703 tons of literature, is only partially searchable by University of Michigan and University of Chicago library sites, but “there is currently no single global interface to the body of content in HathiTrust repository.”

This highlights the real strains of safely storing the world’s intellectual propertywhile being able to serve it up for public consumption. The Hathi website laments that it’s still working on “a way that takes into account the large number of different sources of metadata and the different strategies each of the partners has for managing that information.”

*Here’s the whole list of universities participating in this project:
Indiana University
Michigan State University
Northwestern University
The Ohio State University
Penn State University
Purdue University
University of California Berkeley
University of California Davis
University of California Irvine
University of California Los Angeles
University of California Merced
University of California Riverside
University of California San Diego
University of California San Francisco
University of California Santa Barbara
University of California Santa Cruz
The University of Chicago
University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Iowa
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Virginia

Information and image source: Gizmodo Website

Tech Wise [28th September, 2008]

http://thedailystar.net/campus/2008/09/04/tech.htm

Fuji’s 3D Camera System

FUJI announced a 3d digital imaging system that uses modern image processors to take images with similar quality found in modern cameras. The dual lens system can also be used for future applications including instantly stiched together panoramas from two simultaneous shots, or using one CCD to shoot video while the other shoots stills. What’s interesting is that Fuji simultaneously developed a 3D imaging ecosystem including an 8.4 inch, 3D LCD display that needs no glasses and a 3D printer.

---

Carbon Nanotube Supercapacitors May Replace Clunky Car Batteries

CARBON nanotubes are one of the surprising new carbon supermaterials, and it looks like their application in supercapacitors may have a role in replacing clunky old car battery tech. Scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas have invented a technique to make supercapacitor “paper” made from randomly tangled carbon nanotubes embedded in a polymer. Both chemical batteries and capacitors store electrical charge, in differing ways, but nanotech supercapacitors could store more energy in a smaller space, without the dangers associated with chemical systems. Better yet the new technique is “easily scalable for device fabrication on an industrial scale,” so it might end up in real products sooner rather than later.

---

Controlling light with sound:
new liquid camera lens as simple as water and vibration

A new technique for creating liquid lenses with water and sound could enable a new generation of low cost, lightweight, energy efficient cameras. This series of time-lapse photos shows how the lens, made up of two droplets of water vibrating at a high speed, changes shape and, in turn, moves in and out of focus. The time between frames is four milliseconds.

---

Samsung HZ1:
Skinny, Zoomy, Hi Deffy

THE Samsung HZ1 is just a 26mm thick point ‘n shoot, but it manages to pack in a 10x zoom, 24mm wide angle lens and 720P HD video recording that captures at 30 frames per second. Of course there’s all the other stuff you’d expect in a premium camera of this classoptical image stabilization, 10.2MP and semi-useful extras like face detectionbut we’re just happy to see a small camera avoiding metallic paint for a change. Unfortunately, no word on price or availability yet.

Tech Wise [21st September, 2008]

http://thedailystar.net/campus/2008/09/03/tech.htm

Casio Exilim EX-FH20

Casio has got another super-fast frame rate camera out in the markets: the EX-F20. It’s a smaller and lighter version than its predecessors, but it has 9.1-megapixels, can still shoot ultra-high-speed bursts at 40 fps and high speed movies at “up to 1,000 fps” and has a 20x optical zoom, anti-shake, night-scene mode and standard 720p video option.

It’s intended to appeal to a broader bunch of users, rather than just camera enthusiasts, so it’s a little simpler than the EX-1, with all the shooting modes on a single dial. It’ll be available in black in stores (USA) from October for $600 (approx. BDT 42,000).

---

HTC Touch HD – Official Shots, Specs

Images of the gorgeous HTC Touch HD have popped up on HTC’s site, along with complete specs. Aside from the sweet WVGA 480×800 screen, GPS, Wi-Fi, TouchFLO UI and dual cameras are also confirmed for the WinMo Pro 6.1 beauty.

This entertainment focused mobile handset promises to transform how people experience multimedia on the move. Integrating a large 3.8 inch wide-screen VGA display (WVGA), a standard 3.5mm audio jack and a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, the HTC Touch HD is the perfect device for multimedia fans.

The HTC Touch HD combines high performance capabilities with a stylish, sleek design that has made HTC a global leader in mobile phone design and innovation. Its large 3.8 inch WVGA touchscreen offers users stunning clarity and vibrant colours, providing an unrivalled experience when watching movies, browsing the Internet or even scanning through photos taken with the 5 megapixel auto focus camera.

The stylish new device also features HTC’s beautiful TouchFLO™ 3D user interface to provide quick and intuitive access to the people, messages and content that are most important. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack has also been designed-in, allowing consumers to use high-performance headphones with the device for the best possible sound quality.

---

Ikonoskop Camcorder Shoots 240MB of Video Every Second

The key to the crazy looking Ikonoskop A-cam dII camera may be the 80GB card that comes with it. How else would you expect to shoot 60 RAW frames of 1080p videototalling out at 240MBeach and every second?

However, it doesn’t have the specs to match the legendary 4K Red One, but it does cost a lot less, less than half at $10,000 (approx. BDT 700,000)!!! That awesome memory card is twice as fast as the next best card on the market, but there is a catch: That 80GB will be used up in 15 minutes of video.

---

Bird’s Nest Architects Latest Unveiling:
Apartment Tower in NYC

Fresh off the billions of eyes that have been on the beautiful Beijing National Stadium, Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron have set their sights on New York City with this incredible 57-story residential tower. It consists of 145 unique apartments that are stacked into the sky. The building, which will be built in Tribeca at 56 Leonard Street, uses extreme cantilevers to achieve a look that H&M describe as “pixelated vertical layering.”

Herzog and de Meuron designed just about every aspect of the interiors as well, from the 12-foot glass doors that open out onto your private deck, the massive floor-to-ceiling fireplaceseven the colouring of the individual interior elements. If you want to live in an apartment designed by the same folks that brought us one of the coolest works of architecture of the 20th century (and you’ve got $3.5 millions for a small, low apartment or $33 million for a top apartment), this is your place.

Tech Wise [14th September, 2008]

http://thedailystar.net/campus/2008/09/02/tech.htm

Gunnar Optiks
Eye Strain-Reducing
Computer Glasses

A pair of yellow-tinted glasses you wear at the computer that claim to reduce “Digital Eye Fatigue” and “Computer Vision Syndrome.” In other words, they get rid of eye strain and headaches related to eye strain. It also claims to give you “sharper, clearer vision,” as well as improve your performance because “the eyes are relaxed.” How? By “improving eye focus, reducing glare and blocking artificial light.”

The price of this cool gadget is variable, but a random sampling of different frame types cost anywhere between $99 (approx. BDT 6,900) at the low end and nearly $200 (approx. BDT 14,000) at the high end.

Reports are that, it actually works. The curvature and wrapping of the lenses around your eyes cause some slight distortion when you’re turning your head or using your peripheral vision which takes a short while to get used to.

---

Ballpoint Pen Doubles as an Emergency Cellphone Charger

Brando Workshop is known for quirky and offbeat gadgets, but they deliver their fair share of useful devices as well. This ballpoint pen can also be used as an emergency cellphone charger. According to the description, it averages a 100 minute charge time, 20 hour standby time and 2 hours of talk time on one AA battery. It also features five connectors (Sony Ericsson Fast Port, Nokia 2.5mm, 3.5mm, mini USB and Samsung). It makes sense because many of us already carry around a pen, and it’s not a bad deal at $18(approx. BDT 1260).

---

Electronic Newspapers Get Closer

If Plastic Logic’s upcoming electronic paper tech is any good it might actually be the way of the future for newspapers. Plastic Logic’s device is the size of a sheet of copier paper and is actually aimed at a business environment. But “newspapers is what everyone asks for” says Plastic Logic’s CEO: and this makes great sense since the size of the screen would give it a more “authentic” newspapery feel. No info on price yet.

---

Nikon D90 Preview

Almost exactly two years after the D80 was announced comes its replacement, the rather predictably named D90.

First and foremost there’s a new CMOS sensor, which Nikon claim produces D300 quality output at up to ISO 6400 and – one of several features to ‘trickle down’ from higher models – the same highly acclaimed 3.0-inch VGA screen as the D3/D300. Naturally it has Live View with contrast-detect AF and it would have been surprising had it not sported some form of dust removal system. More surprising is the inclusion of the world’s first DSLR movie mode (720p HDTV quality, no less) and HDMI output, though as we’ll see later it does come with some limitations. A lot of the core photographic spec is the same as or very similar to the D80, though there is a new shutter and an implementation of the 3D tracking AF seen on the D3/D300.

And it’s not just the high end models that have lent features and technology to the D90; the user interface has been given the same user-friendly treatment as the D60, as have the retouching options.

Nikon D90 Key Features
* 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
* 3.0-inch 920,000 pixel (VGA x 3 colors) TFT-LCD (same as D3 and D300)
* Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection
* Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
* Illuminated focus points
* Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
* IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
* 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
* Expeed image processing engine
* 3D tracking AF (11 point)
* Short startup time, viewfinder blackout and shutter lag
* Slightly improved viewfinder (96% frame coverage)
* Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
* Improved user interface
* New optional compact GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
* Same battery and vertical grip as D80
* Vignetting control in-camera
* 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback
Source: Gizmodo and DPreview Websites

Tech Wise [7th September, 2008]

http://thedailystar.net/campus/2008/09/01/tech.htm

Volkswagen Caddy Van Features a Wooden Boat Deck For Sunbathing

The designers at Volkswagen brought out the big guns for an upcoming recreational vehicle show in Düsseldorf, Germany by crossing one of their small commercial Caddy vans with a sailboat. While the Caddy Topos Sail design is not capable of traveling on water, it does feature a sailboat style deck on the roof that can be modified for relaxation and sunbathing. It even features a wooden ladder built into the glass to grant easy access to the roof. Point to note: it is still only a concept!

---

Photosynthesis Solar Tree Concept Is the World’s Best Looking Solar Gadget Charger

Great concept from designer Vivien Muller for a modular, Lego-like little bonsai tree with 54 mini photovoltaic panels as leaves to take energy from the sun and charge your gadgets. Adapters get tucked away beneath a nice little tray, and your gadgets lay on top, basking in the shade.

---

Sony’s Bravia BDV-IT1000 All-in-One Blu-ray Home Theater Experience

It was only a matter of time before Sony released out an all-in-one Blu-ray home theater system, and their new Bravia BDV-IT1000 seems to fit that void quite nicely. Some of the highlight features include: 700W of total power, slim speakers thanks to finger-sized full-range drive units, wireless rear speakers, two HDMI inputs and support for Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. No word on a price or a release date yet.

---

House with a Mini Golf Course On Its Roof

This modern house in Spain has a complex and industrial-looking mini golf course on its roof. The house has been designed in a parcel with extremely high topography. The parcel is located at the end of the city of Igualada, and the project will look to the landscape at the front.

The structural solution of the project is a continuous steel tube fitted in the earth at the extremes. A steel tube covered with aluminum panels which flies over the trees of the parcel.

Source :
Gizmodo & ArchDaily Website

Tech Wise [31st August, 2008]

http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/08/05/tech.htm

Enormous Artificial Sand Dune to House Museum of Modern Arab Art

In your next trip to the middle east, or Qatar to be precise, if you happen to be driving through the desert near Doha and notice an unusual number of Bentleys and Ferraris parked in front of a sand dune, you may find you’re actually looking at the Museum of Modern Arab Art, a two-level, air-conditioned 350,000-square-foot facility celebrating over 10,000 works of art.

The museum, designed by architect Rafael Viñoly in NYC, will be completed by 2011, and will show off a collection of 5,000 paintings, 700 antiques, sculptures, metalwork and ceramics, a calligraphy section–not fancy party invitations, mind you, but elaborately ornate murals and manuscripts ranging from the early Qur’anic period to modern times–and other areas will include photography and applied arts. It may not surprise you to know that this collection is actually entirely owned by one man, Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Al-Thani, which he started amassing 10 short years ago.

An engineering firm for the project reports that the building’s surface will be a canvas-like material, and that the whole thing was difficult to air condition, given the combination of new materials, desert climate and priceless humidity-sensitive artworks.

No price estimate for the project is yet available, but it suffices to say this will be the most expensive sand dune ever!

---

Ode to Beethoven

These Mp3 speakers provide a mass-produced, popular piece of technology with a decorative alternative accessory.

---

Sit Lamp is a doggie!

The following are designs from Thomson , a graduate of the University of Brighton –

---

Cordless Candelabra

A superior and celebrated icon of traditional ornate lighting design is transformed into a cordless lamp when lifted from its charging dock.

Tech Wise [17th August, 2008]

http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/08/03/tech.htm

The 2008 Beijing Olympics is on full throttle as the top athletes from all the countries in the world fight it out in the Chinese capital. But this Olympics is more than the athleticism, sportsmanship or team work it is also a technological marvel, and this week, in Tech Wise, we will have a sneak peek at the hi-tech stuff in use in this year’s Olympics.

Chinese Surveillance-
Taking a hand
from the West!

IN what is surely the most surprising of moves and yet the most sensible one China has made, the officials ate Beijing are taking the help of some of the top US Surveillance firms to make sure that everything goes down calm and peaceful in the grand event. With the threat of Tibetan protestors and also a looming threat from international terrorism, it is only obvious that this step was needed. While China prides itself on home-grown technology, ego has not come in the way of Chinese making sure that all is safe and serene at Beijing. China is taking the help of major Chinese firms such as Honeywell, General Electric, United Technologies and I.B.M. to ensure that no unwarranted event happens in during the celebration of human excellence.

---

Speedo LZR: Seamless
wonder streaming in the Cube!

THE suit is seamless and reduces drag because of that very reason. Less drag in water means more speed. Drag only slows us down as it is nothing but friction in fluids. The swimsuit in fact has no seam as the costume’s material is welded together to give the effect of having no seams. This top-notch suit is being put to the ultimate test in the grand Water Cube in the games and without doubt all eyes are on Phelps who is there to claim another bunch of gold medals in Beijing.

---

Only thing raining at the Olympics
is Medals!

IT looks that nothing is impossible for the Chinese to achieve even if it means manipulating the rainfall. To ensure that the Olympic Games become a fair weather event, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau claims to have succeeded in their experiments in stopping the rain. Silver iodide, a seeding agent will be used to increase the rate of collision and coalescence of droplets in clouds above zero degrees producing a downdraft that prevents cloud formation. Another method involves firing seeding agents into clouds from anti-aircraft guns before the clouds could reach the games stadium losing all its perspiration at the periphery of the games arena. The Chinese want no dampener on their grand event!

---

Bird’s Nest and Water Cube-
Architecture Extraordinaire!

THE main stadium for this year’s Beijing Olympics is, quite simply, stunning and is an amazing piece of architecture and design. If China has set out to impress the world with the 2008 Olympics, the stadium and its attendant buildings – the Aquatics Centre (aka the Water Cube) and the main stadium are just the right note to start the grand tune off. The Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube are breathtaking venues and provide the perfect stage for the Olympic drama to unfold. In essence, the Water Cube is a big, £50m steel and concrete box containing a huge swimming pool flanked by 17,000 seats. But what an extraordinary box it is. The pattern of the structure has been designed to hold huge pillows of ETFE, a lightweight substitute for glass. The pattern is based on the natural formation of soap bubbles to give a random, organic appearance.

---

A million dollar bike
for that one priceless
Olympic gold!
KOGA Miyata has designed this million dollar bike for the Olympic qualifier from Holland, Theo Bos. The bicycle has been designed with a budget of million dollars and one would pretty much feel that it is not too modest. It is a seamless piece of technological marvel. It has no brakes and can cut through the air without drag, much like hot knife through butter. Apparently no ordinary man can handle this mean machine and that is understandable. Keep an eye out and see if Theo Bos does indeed bring home the gold to the Dutch.

---

Nike BMX Bike:
A grand debut at the games

IN action sports, the mantra is “I want to be different, just like everybody else,” says John Martin, global creative director for Nike Action Sports. So Americans will help inaugurate the new Olympic discipline of BMX racing in NIKE ULTRALIGHT bike “leathers” that keep riders cool with high-tech “zoned venting,” but are styled for BMX culture. A grand expressive entrance for the modern sport on the grandest stage of them all!

Tech Wise [3rd August, 2008]

http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/08/01/tech.htm

Dumbell Shaped Sports Bottle Gives You a Thirst Quenching Workout

IT remains a question that how much of a workout you are going to get with some really light-1-pound weights, but the idea behind this Dumbell Sports Bottle design is sure appreciable. Not only would a bottle weight serve as a constant reminder about proper hydration, it would also encourage recycling. Plus, if you were to drink from the bottle, it would unbalance the weight, which could benefit your muscles by working them in unique ways. It’s only a concept at this point, but if you add on some litter and gallon bottles it could perhaps be a much more viable product.

---

Dell’s Budget But Decent Inspiron Line:
Inspiron 13 Laptop and 518 Desktop

THERE’S the all new Dell Inspiron series — Inspiron 13 which starts under $800 (BDT 56,000 approx.), with a 13-inch “high definition display,” touch controls, and a slot-loading DVD drive.

The Inspiron 13 laptop is a great choice for back to school shoppers looking for a smaller, lighter, more efficient mobile PC. With a starting weight of just under 5 pounds, the Inspiron 13 combines a simple and clean design encased in glossy Pacific blue with black trim. Smart features include a 13-inch high definition display, capacitive touch media buttons, 8-in-1 media card reader and slot-load DVD drive. Optional features include built-in wireless networking, built-in webcam and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Inspiron 518 desktop is a standard budget tower but dressed up in glossy black, starting at $349(BDT 24,430 approx.).

The Inspiron 518 desktop features a gloss-black exterior with chrome accents. Families will appreciate the top media tray with two easy-access USB ports for quick MP3 player syncing and cell-phone charging. It provides performance to meet the most typical family PC activities, like faster networking connections with Gigabit Ethernet, DX10 integrated graphics for casual gaming, optional 500GB hard drive for storing digital images and music libraries, and optional quad core processors. Both these Inspirons are available online at www.dell.com.

---

SimpleTech [re]drive is a 500GB Green Machine

SIMPLETECH’S [re]drive is the self-proclaimed “World’s Most Eco Friendly External Drive,” calling attention to its bamboo and aluminium casing, low power hard drive, energy star power adapter and lack of fan (the aluminium acts as a heat sink). Whether or not it actually is the world’s greenest seems somewhat subjective, but with 500GB of space and Turbo USB 2.0 connection, it should get the job done either way. The [re]drive is currently available in US markets at $160. [BDT 11,200 approx.]

---

Freecom Mobile Drive XXS Is the Smallest, Lightest 2.5-inch Hard Drive

Freecom’s just taken the portable hard drive crown with what they’re claiming to be the smallest and lightest 2.5-inch USB drive on the market now. Their Mobile Drive XXS comes in 160GB, 250GB and 320GB sizes, and is bus-powered for one less thing you have to carry around.

Tech Wise [27th July 2008]

http://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/07/04/tech.htm

A Toast-Dropping Toaster!!!

It so turns out that there’s actually a real toast-dropping versus toast-popping machine. The Trapdoor Toaster does exactly what it sounds like it does. It’s a 1400W device, with auto-adjusting guide racks so it can do toast, bagels or pop-tart-style food. You simply slide in your food, and when it’s done it slips out the bottom, and elegantly onto your plate. Out in US markets now for $79.95 (approx. 5,600 BDT).

Purdue University Breakthrough Could Lead to Low-Cost, Mass-Produced LEDs

The researchers at Purdue University are just full of bright ideas these days, and this time, it was no exception. Thanks to a major breakthrough, they may have overcome a major obstacle for “solid state lighting,” which laymen like to call LED (light emitting diode). That obstacle? Cost. LEDs are expensive, mostly because their innards are created on a substrate of sapphire. That means only a few gadgets and luxury cars headlights have benefited from the tech so far. Purdue researchers solved the conundrum with a technique that creates the LEDs on low-cost, metal-coated silicon wafers. This is great news for energy conservation, because while LEDs are much more efficient than their incandescent brethren, they are also 20 times more expensive to produce.

Hi-Tech Shoes For Ladies Have Heel Height Extenders

Thankfully just a concept for now, the Goodie 2 Shoe is an idea in function, and definitely not in form. They’re ugly, sure, but they have a neat trick: the heel is adjustable with magnets and hidden hinges, so a 1.5-inch heel suitable for work gets extended to a come-hither 3.5-inch for going out. Other parts can be customized too. This is truly designed for the tech savvy women of today!

Osram Push White LEDS to World-Record Brightness, Super Efficiency

It’s an interesting week in the world of LEDs; you read about the ultra-cheap ones, and now Osram have news that they’ve pushed white LEDs to world-record brightness. By optimising the diode, light converter and the package, their lab test squeezed 500 lumens out of a single LED at 1.4A. That’s bright enough for projector tech, and certainly makes the single unit good for car lighting and even interior lights. At a lower, more optimal, current the 1mm-square white LED had an efficiency of 136 lumens/W that makes it about twice as efficient as standard fluorescent lamps and 10 times a normal bulb.