TankChair deemed too heavy to use on UK streets, disabled man becomes marketing boon (video)
January 24, 2011 No Comment
While we figure that giant, tread-wielding wheelchairs have no trouble selling themselves, a disabled man named Jim Starr is helping them along their merry way — a story about his TankChair being rejected for street use by UK authorities is giving the company plenty of free advertising. That’s not to say that we don’t feel for the disabled father of two, and hope he gets to use his snow-crushing, beach-mashing wheelchair in peace — it’s just not particularly surprising that a non-standard vehicle would be illegal to use on public roadways, and as you’ll see in the video after the break, the law doesn’t seem to be restraining him any. Continue reading TankChair deemed too heavy to use on UK streets, disabled man becomes marketing boon (video) TankChair deemed too heavy to use on UK streets, disabled man becomes marketing boon (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We’ve seen some electronic devices that promise to cure migraines in the past, but NuPathe’s Zelrix patch certainly seems to be among the most practical, and it’s just gotten one step closer to the US market. The company recently announced that the FDA has accepted its filing for a New Drug Application, and it says it now has a target date of August 29, 2011 for the FDA to complete its review. As for the patch itself, it’s a single-use patch that relies on a mild electrical current to “actively transport” the anti-migraine drug sumatriptan through the skin using a process called iontophoresis. That, NuPathe says, not only allows for a more consistent and controlled delivery of the drug, but it also circumvents the nausea and vomiting that can occur when taking the medication orally — which the company notes can be enough to cause some folks to avoid taking the medication altogether. Head on past the break for the complete press release. Continue reading Zelrix electronic anti-migraine patch heads to the FDA for review Zelrix electronic anti-migraine patch heads to the FDA for review originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Inhabitat’s Week in Green: self-sustaining airships, turbine base jumpers, and the Sahara’s solar oasis
January 24, 2011 No Comment
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green. This week opened with the exciting news that Norway and Jordan signed an agreement create a flourishing solar oasis in the scorching Sahara Desert. India also made waves as they announced the first tidal plant in Asia , and we took a look at a novel wind power tech that eschews noisy turbines for piezoelectric pads. We also rounded up our favorite wind-powered gadgets that don’t blow , and you won’t believe the latest extreme sport: wind turbine base jumping ! In other news, green transportation took to the skies as we showcased a futuristic airship that generates its own fuel and a hydrogen-powered UAV that can stay aloft for up to a week. Meanwhile, back on earth we heard several major auto manufactures make exciting announcements as Chevrolet unveiled tech that could double the Volt’s battery life and Toyota pulled back the curtain on an upgraded electric motor that requires less rare earth metals. This week we also shined a light on the world of energy-efficient illumination with our Green Lighting 101 guide , and we were blinded by the brilliance of Mischer Traxler’s repurposed Relumine desk lamps . Finally, from the realm of wearable tech we brought you the solar-powered Androcell backpack that backs up your data, and we tested a handy alphabet flash card app for tech-savvy tots. Inhabitat’s Week in Green: self-sustaining airships, turbine base jumpers, and the Sahara’s solar oasis originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On , a column about consumer technology. The Nintendo 3DS stands to democratize stereoscopy in a way society hasn’t experienced since the View-Master craze, by offering 3D hardware more affordable than the current crop of televisions and PCs, and without requiring special glasses to see images pop out of the handheld’s screen. But when it comes to innovation, the 3DS could represent a two-way street, for even as its 3D screen is focused on enhancing the handheld gaming experience, its “Pass” network technologies — SpotPass and particularly StreetPass — could have broader implications for the way we discover the world around us. Continue reading Switched On: When Gadgets Talk in Their Sleep Switched On: When Gadgets Talk in Their Sleep originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Grace Digital punts WiFi radio into a wireless bookshelf speaker system, can’t escape Reciva’s ghost
January 23, 2011 No Comment
Just when we thought Grace Digital Audio had turned over a new, touch-friendly leaf , the company’s back with another WiFi internet radio that uses the frustrating Reciva interface . We can’t say we’re pleased, but the firm’s new $250 Wireless Stereo Micro System does have one new feature that might be worth checking out — it comes with a pair of handsome bookshelf speakers that connect over the ether as well. This time, you can not only connect to your home wireless network (or auxiliary media player) and pull down loads of tunes from the typical array of services — including Pandora, Live365 and Sirius XM — but listen in stereo too, while hopefully hiding that ugly four-line LCD and its irksome nests of menus from ever disturbing your view. Continue reading Grace Digital punts WiFi radio into a wireless bookshelf speaker system, can’t escape Reciva’s ghost Grace Digital punts WiFi radio into a wireless bookshelf speaker system, can’t escape Reciva’s ghost originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Darn, we’ve barely started getting acquainted with Tegra 2 , yet NVIDIA seems to already be preparing the stage for a sort of Tegra 2.5 — a 1.2GHz dual-core chip that’ll be marketed as a 3D-capable mobile processor. This T25 silicon is apparently set for mass production in the first quarter of this year, with availability coming up in the spring. Given the noises we keep hearing about 3D going mobile , this is one rumor that makes a lot of sense — and even if you’re a staunch supporter of the 2D creed, you can’t deny that a sped-up Tegra 2 CPU sounds pretty delicious. We’ve managed to also track down some technical chatter about adding support to Chromium OS for a 1.2GHz T25 from NVIDIA, seemingly corroborating the leaked image above. Oh boy, it’s gonna be a hot summer for mobile computing this year! 1.2GHz Tegra 2 3D chips suggested by leaked slide, coming ‘spring 2011′ originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We’re only four days away from a supposed January 27th unveiling , but apparently there are still more juicy PSP2 rumors left to dole out — Japan’s often-reliable Nikkei newspaper reports that the handheld machine will sport a crisp OLED touchscreen and 3G data from NTT DoCoMo when it arrives later this year, with the latter enabling multiplayer action and even full video and game downloads over the Japanese cellular network. What’s more, the paper confirms that the screen will be physically larger and powered by some potent new silicon . So, how will Sony differentiate this PSP2 from the PlayStation Phone and tempt you to buy both? The game system won’t make calls. Note: In case you’re not familiar, the image above is a relatively ancient reader mockup, and likely not representative of the final product. It is pretty sexy, though. Nikkei: PSP2 will have 3G cellular data, OLED touchscreen originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Scientists build double-floating-gate FET, believe it could revolutionize computer memory
January 23, 2011 No Comment
Look, we get it, you want DRAM that behaves like flash, flash that behaves like DRAM, and everything in between — speedy computer memory that doesn’t lose its data when the power goes off, and lasts for years on end. Well, it looks there’s a new challenger about to enter that ring — double floating-gate field effect transistors, currently in prototype form at North Carolina State University. Whereas the single floating-gate variety is currently responsible for the flash memory in your USB keys and SSDs , the second floating gate lets bits of data stay in an active, ready state, but the computer can also apply a higher voltage to “freeze” them in place. Since the memory can switch between static and dynamic modes in a single cycle and the data never disappears in between, researchers imagine the new tech could lead to instant-on computers and power-saving techniques that shut down idle memory banks. That’s the consumer take, at least — find the technical deep dive at our more coverage link. Scientists build double-floating-gate FET, believe it could revolutionize computer memory originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Chinese officials recently unveiled a new, high-tech stealth fighter that could pose a significant threat to American air superiority _ and some of its technology, it turns out, may well have come from the US Itself. (Jan. 23)
Continue reading …
Podcast? On a Sunday? And they said it couldn’t be done! Join the full team of podcasters as we throw touchdown after touchdown of tech analysis down the field and through the uprights. You can intercept it all live on Ustream, which is embedded after the break. P.S. And don’t forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you’re out and about and you can’t join in on the Flash-based fun below. Continue reading The Engadget Podcast, live at 12:00PM EST! The Engadget Podcast, live at 12:00PM EST! originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …