Toq smartwatch (video)

Toq in its WiPower LE wireless charging base/earphone case.
Credit: Qualcomm/Cnet

Another take on the smartwatch from Qualcomm. This one has:

• reflective colour screen using low power Mirasol technology
• touch screen
• stereo Bluetooth headphones
• wireless charging of both watch & headphones using WiPower LE through a supplied cradle-cum-earphones holder

Qualcomm website:

http://toq.qualcomm.com/

Cnet:

http://reviews.cnet.com/watches-and-wrist-devices/qualcomm-toq/4505-3512_7-35827147.html

YouTube:

http://youtu.be/G2tnjzuadNk

http://youtu.be/YzTrqifCOhs

http://youtu.be/kJwVPWel-eg

About WiPower wireless charging:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiPower / color Fitbit Force Flex Pebble Samsung Galaxy Gear Sony smart watch Kickstarter crowd funding source sourced sourcing wrist firmware update SMS text email color TXT hardware loaded software features useful usability never use company’s company modern smartwatch display sharp resolution processor wrist strap microphone calls Bluetooth smartphone connection glanceable notification incoming calls texts messages alerts clever integration smartphones so when you take the phone out of your pocket messages message instantly appear big screen virtual assistant dictate text messages set alarms create calendar entries hands free hands-free speakerphone voice connection contact paired smartphone user phone’s phone lock unlock sleep wake Qualcomm low-power /

Skully Helmets shows heads-up display for motorcycle riders (video)

Credit: Skully Helmets/Oh Gizmo

We may be looking at a new class of device, the "smart helmet".

It has a Head Up Display (HUD) with vision from a 180 degree rear view camera, turn-by-turn GPS navigation & voice control of telephone & music. Sounds pretty smart to me.

At the rear is an aerodynamic tail which reduces buffeting as well as housing the electronics.

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2013/10/21/slick-motorcycle-helmet-with-an-hud-could-eliminate-blind-spots-provide-gps-guidance-and-make-your-friends-jealous/





Manufacturer's Web site
https://www.skully.com/ / DOT ECE European department of transport standard electronics smart phone smartphone Global Positioning System heads visor voice dialing dial turn-by-turn turn by turn navigation directions voice rear-mounted rear mounted view LiIon lithium ion battery 9 hours run time hour safety standards /

New iPhones score well with "Consumer Reports", but display & battery "no match" for Android competitors

Credit: Laptop Mag

http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/16/new-iphones-score-well-with-consumer-reports-but-display-and-battery-no-match-for-android-competitors/

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/10/iphone-5s-and-5c-score-highly-in-consumer-report-ratings/index.htm

http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-galaxy-note-3-iphone-5s-comparison-reveals-slo-mo-not-really-720p-20131021/

http://www.wirefly.com/iphone-vs-android/ / Google Apple Android iOS OS operating system screen resolution Droid Motorola Samsung mobile cell phone smartphone smart 3G 4G apps app application /

Robot blocks magically turn themselves into absolutely anything (video)

Credit: MIT

http://www.dvice.com/2013-10-8/robot-blocks-magically-turn-themselves-absolutely-anything / cube cubes robot robots buildings MITcolour color colourful colorful blocks M-blocks mblocks reconfigure reconfiguration reconfiguring arrangements configure configuration arrangement create modular robots essentially indestructible Terminator block flywheels flywheel inside move rotate revolve 20,000 revolutions per minute stop within 10 milliseconds angular momentum cube flip magnet magnets sides cube stick to each othe moving cubes around possible create different shapes cubes powerful low amount of energy roll forward intermediate amount of energy might cause it to climb a wall highest amount energy jump MIT roboticist Kyle Gilpin M-Blocks arrange themselves cool patterns future hold great applications product help build temporary bridges structures move themselves over hard-to-navigate hard to navigate terrain smaller more capable won't form tkiller robot travel goes back in time destroy destroys all humans. /

1000 mile battery

Flow batteries have been around for some time in stationary applications. For vehicular use, they have the attractive qualities that they can be recharged, not only by plugging into a charger at home, but by replacing the electrolytes. Replacement of electrolytes is about as fast as filling a tank with petrol (gasolene).

Electrolytes removed from the battery can be recharged & reused indefinitely.

So why aren't flow batteries used in vehicles? To date, flow batteries have been restricted to stationary applications because of their size & weight.

Batteries of many types are now undergoing intense development. Lithium ion has had the most success to date. However, even the best solutions remain a balancing act between cost, range, size, & weight, with recharge times remaining the Archilles heel. If similar development efforts could overcome the size & weight problems, the recharge options would make flow batteries an ideal energy source for electric vehicles.

http://evworld.com/focus.cfm?cid=181 / electric vehicle automobile EV car recharge charge driving range gasoline model refueled minutes time long driving trip home overnight fuel fueling petrol gas filling station researcher research flow batteries reported breakthrough Illinois Institute of Technology IIT chemical battery fuel cell electrolyte fluids rich metallic ions ion vandanium chromium exchange ion ions across membrane generate generating electric current replace the fluids recycled indefinitely electricity electric grid reverse process charge charging research groups technology Massachusetts MIT University of Michigan Fraunhofer Institute Germany Argonne Labs IIT technology bulky low energy density by volume lithium ion LiIon lithium-ion battery 150-200 Wh/liter litre energy Vandanium flow battery might be 20-35 Wh/liter power density 60-100 W/L versus 275 W/L for lithium University of Southampton in England experimented experiment prototype hybrid car lithium early Vanadium flow battery, weight mass volume success of a flow battery transport transportation grid energy storage working fluid accommodate more ions water breakdown voltages 1.2V Volt Volts Stanford University research paper technology disruptive innovation order of magnitude increase energy power density critical limiting factor solubility electroactive species electrolyte solution team researchers Argonne National Labs IIT $3.4 million ARPA-E research grant U.S. Energy Department nanoelectrofue disruptive innovation industry technology nano-scale materials ions lithium safe to handle liquid hydrogen ammonia recycle recycled environmentally benign methanol ammonia /

Pebble's Migicovsky: we're focused on software, not hardware right now (video)

Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/The Guardian

http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/18/pebble-ceo/

http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/10/an-interview-with-eric-migicovsky-a-product-designer-who-had-to-ramp-up-from-0-to-10-million-in-funding-in-a-month/

MIT Technolgy Review's take: "How he invented the smartwatch"

http://www.technologyreview.com/lists/innovators-under-35/2013/visionary/eric-migicovsky/

Forbes:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2013/09/11/pebble-founder-eric-migicovsky-smartwatches-need-to-keep-it-simple/

Wired:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/05/hands-on-with-pebble-smartwatch-the-most-successful-kickstarter-project-ever/

My take: I'm a Kickstarter backer of Pebble & haven't regretted my investment.

Have a look at:

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2013/04/opinion-is-there-smartwatch-in-your.html

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-smart-should-your-watch-be.html

http://hhg2tech.blogspot.com/2013/01/hands-on-with-pebble-smartwatch-first.html / future proof proofed future-proofed Pebble Eric Migicovsky tech Pebble watch shipped Kickstarter backer backers people judge software hardware startup's startup start up CEO New York Big Apple recent appearance MIT hackathon interact directly developer community company tremendously successful crowdfunding crowd funding fund campaign subsequent product launch Migicovsky's focus hardware user experience job that means fixing bugs helping to bring next killer app wearable platform we're focused on right now softwar soft-spoken exec executive founder founding Pebbles Kickstarter backers supporter supporters support us company move the software forward update firmware over the air updates updated updater updating WiFi publish software updates gap gaps broken Pebble box it's making your life better in tiny ways smartwatch smart watch /

Drayson Racing sets four new electric-car land speed records

Credit: Drayson Racing/Gizmag

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1087766_drayson-racing-sets-four-new-electric-car-land-speed-records

More about Drayson Racing:

http://www.gizmag.com/lola-drayson-b1269ev-electric-racing-car/21212/ / team led leader British science minister Lord Drayson land speed record lightweight electric cars 204.2 mph Elvington airfield Yorkshire England Drayson record set setting drive driver driving Lola B12 69/EV previous attempts Lord Drayson 205.13 mph flying mile set one-kilometer record 333.271 kph records wait waiting awaiting approval FIA top speed achieved reached Lola fastest vehicle Britain driven drive wheel wheels exclude excludes vehicles powered thrust jet rocket powered Bloodhound SSC being prepared 1,000 mph record run South African desert Drayson Racing Lola B12 69/EVDrayson set record electric car standing quarter mile time 9.74 seconds 92.38 mph record also awaiting FIA approval team statement last record run vehicle electric EV car still accelerate acceleration accelerating hard reached end speed zone prompting Drayson try again team originally intended take electric car Bonneville Salt Flats flooding forced Elvington Lola B12 69/EV designed Le Mans prototype race car racer racing powered four 4 quartet electric motors developing combined 640 kilowatts 850 horsepower innovate innovation innovative structural batteries name suggests suggestion suggestions they integrate energy storage Lola's bodywork chassis /