Photo: people will always need plates Our friends over at the design blog Dezeen have launched a pop-up shop in the smartest part of town. Calling it Temporium, because it is only up for 10 days, it features the best of new British design. For anyone looking for a great gift for a design-freak friend, or just a good piece for the apartment; this is the place for the next few days. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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If a product doesn’t change for two years, it’s got to be doing something right, and such was the tale about Razer’s Destructor gaming surface . Alas, all good things must come to an end-of-life, if only to encourage people to buy the new hotness, which in this case is the shiny new Scarab. It’s a hard gaming mousepad doused in Razer’s Fractal 2.0 coating, ensuring uniform responsiveness and the right balance between speed and control. It includes a carrying case — because, as all serious gamers know, you’ve got to look good to play good — and that ever-elusive “feeling of awesomeness during usage.” The price is one of those hilarious, currency-agnostic ones, as the Scarab will cost you $39.99 in the US or €39.99 in Europe. We’re sure Euro gamers are laughing it up right now. You’ll find the PR after the break and the Scarab in stores later this month. Continue reading Razer Scarab has regular mousepad looks, precision gaming DNA Razer Scarab has regular mousepad looks, precision gaming DNA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Chip implanted in spinal cord could help sufferers of chronic pain (video)
December 17, 2010 No Comment
Researchers at Sydney’s National ICT Australia (NICTA) have spent the past two years developing an incredibly futuristic invention which could bring relief to those who suffer from chronic pain. What it amounts to is a series of ‘smart’ chips inserted into biocompatible devices and strung together. These are then sewn into a very small (1.22mm wide) lead made of a polymer yarn and wires, which are then inserted into the spine . The device is them connected to a battery and computer which can measure and gather information about the pain-carrying nerves signalling the brain. The device can also respond by sending 10 volt electrical pulses to block the signals’ path to the brain, tricking the brain into thinking there is no pain. There are devices such as this one already in existence, but they are much larger than this new device, and its smaller size increases accuracy as it can be implanted closer to the spine than previous models. The NICTA’s device is set to go into human trials next year. Video after the break. Continue reading Chip implanted in spinal cord could help sufferers of chronic pain (video) Chip implanted in spinal cord could help sufferers of chronic pain (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Rabbi Joel Kaplan’s first task will be to import kosher food into southeastern European country. ‘This will be the first time in 70 years that there will be a minyan in Albania,’ he says
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Budding hobbyists almost have it too easy these days, what with all the ready-made components, Mindstorms and Arduino boards, but there’s still a couple of folks out there kicking it old-school… and printing transistors at home. Yes, that’s a RepRap 3D printer you see there, with a MakerBot Unicorn pen head, depositing tiny dots of silver ink to form intricate rows of tiny electrodes. Sadly, the printer doesn’t currently automate the entire process, as you’ll also need to separately apply a dielectric material and a host of chemicals to get a working field effect transistor from scratch, but once the basic process is perfected the possibilities, as they say, are endless. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got a hot date with some vacuum tubes. Find the basic formula for DIY transistors at our source link. RepRap prints transistors, but fabs have little to fear originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The United Nations secretary-general plans to call for an independent commission to study whether UN peacekeepers caused a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 2,400 people in Haiti, an official said Wednesday. UN officials initially dismissed speculation about the involvement of peacekeepers. The announcement indicates that concern about the epidemic’s origin has now reached the highest levels of the global organisation. Port-au-Prince, Haiti — A relative of a man suffering from cholera symptoms asks for help to place the ill man into this ambulance, before transferring him from a cholera treatment centre at an earthquake displaced camp to a hospital…
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Congress sent President Obama sweeping legislation late Thursday night to avoid a Jan. 1 spike in income taxes for millions and renew jobless benefits for victims of the worst recession in 80 years. (Dec. 17)
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Looks like there are more colorful PMPs on the way from Iriver. All we have right now from the company is a teaser video (in Korean, no less) and a few model names: U100, P100, and D2000, to be exact. Hopefully this will tide you over until next year when the things are ready to hit the street. Hit the source link to feel the love (as well as some very moving piano music). Iriver teases out U100, P100, and D2000 portable media players originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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SINGAPORE – (Reuters) – Indian security forces fighting a 20-year insurgency in Kashmir beat suspects, subjected them to electric current and tortured them with water in widespread human rights abuses, the Red Cross told the U.S. embassy according to a leaked diplomatic cable. The 2005 cable, released by WikiLeaks and published by the Guardian, documents systematic prisoner abuse by Indian police and paramilitary forces based on visits the International Red Cross made to detention centers in Kashmir and elsewhere between 2002-2004. It said that among 1,500 detainees that the Red Cross staff met, more than half reported “ill-treatment.” Of…
Continue reading …Volkswagen’s London Taxi Concept: smaller, prettier, more electric than the real thing
December 17, 2010 No Comment
London would do well to dispense with the Concept label right now and just turn these into its next fleet of people carriers. Volkswagen has unveiled the latest in a series of World Taxis it’s doing, prettying up London’s admittedly iconic black cabs with a sheen of new paint, an all-electric drive, and an infusion of tablet-based infotainment. Based on the Up! city car , the London Taxi Concept has an estimated range of 186 miles and takes an hour to go from zero to an 80 percent charge. It also has a grayscale version of the Union Jack emblazoned on its roof, guess that’s just how VW rolls. Sadly, we doubt anyone will be in a hurry to heed our sage advice and start using this concept any time soon, particularly since it doesn’t pass London’s taxi regulations at present, but it’s a harbinger of a future we’d like to see become real. Continue reading Volkswagen’s London Taxi Concept: smaller, prettier, more electric than the real thing Volkswagen’s London Taxi Concept: smaller, prettier, more electric than the real thing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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