For all the power and connectivity that modern mobile devices offer these days, why are we still typing on screens (or, God forbid, numerical pads) barely three fingers wide? A new weareable GUI system aims to turn any surface within arm’s reach into an input device.
The OmniTouch system was developed by Carnegie Mellon University in conjunction with Microsoft Research and allows users to interact with applications on any surface…
Continue reading… “The OmniTouch makes any surface interactive”
A new way to save lives.
Getting lost may be getting harder to do with this new scrunchable, stretchable and water-resistant antenna that can be sewn into your clothes…
Continue reading… “Emergency beacon with scrunchable antenna can be sewn into clothes”
Look at the details!
Researchers say this specimen is about as close to perfect as fossils come. Unveiled last Thursday by scientists from the Bavarian paleontological and ecological collections in Munich, Germany, the unnamed dinosaur is believed to be 98% complete, and even includes bits of preserved skin.
Continue reading… “The most well-preserved dinosaur skeleton ever found in Europe”
Jonas Pfiel’s “Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera” sports 36 cameras and contains firmware that stitches their output together to form a global panorama; you throw it into the air and at the top of its arc, it takes a snap and processes it…
Continue reading… “Ball-camera that you toss in the air for a 360° panorama”
Nanotubes contribute to another breakthrough.
Will the wonders of carbon nanotubes never cease? Engineers have now used everyone’s favorite cylindrical übermolecules to create artificial muscles that can contract and twist, in a manner not unlike like the muscles found in elephant trunks and squid tentacles. The upshot? Researchers say these tiny little motors could soon be used to propel microscopic nanobots throughout your bloodstream.
In nanoscale engineering, the term “artificial muscle” is used to refer to materials that can change their shape in response to stimuli. The mechanical movements created by these muscles have potential applications in everything from cancer therapies to portable electronics…
A Dramatic transformation.
It’s conventional wisdom that women wear make-up to appear more beautiful, but according to a new study, there’s another effect: they appear more competent.
Here’s the intriguing study by Pyschology professor Nancy Etcoff and colleagues…
Continue reading… “Makeup Makes Women Look More Competent”
Monopolies are a unbeneficial to overall businesses world.
The pace and power of web-fueled innovation is stunning. One day we’re swearing by Outlook, the next, we can’t live without Gmail. These changes exemplify the beauty of the Internet — the possibility that greener pastures are but a click away.
On the other hand, the list of tech innovations that could have been is quite long. Before we get into those, a few caveats…
Continue reading… “Why no one company will ever Monopolize the Internet”
Futurist Thomas Frey: Would you buy a product that was advertised as “Naturally grown, completely organic, printed food?”
Continue reading… “The Coming Food Printer Revolution”
Behold nature and its wonders! Tobias Lunchbreath understands that true happiness lies in the Oreo-fueled cycle of life.
Continue reading… “The cycle of life is a beautiful thing”
Crowdsourcing for innovation.
Numerous studies demonstrate that 70-80% of all new products fail. Lack of relevance, lack of differentiation, inappropriate pricing and muddled messaging all factor into a brand’s struggle when launching a new product.
However, the ultimate judgment of new products falls to consumers, who, ironically, are often absent from the development process. That development stage stands the greatest chance of generating transformative new ideas early on, before the brand has made a significant investment…
Continue reading… “The rise of Customer-Driven innovation”
Pick it up then burn it up.
An Israel-based company called Paulee CleanTec has taken a page from your local funeral home when it comes to dealing with your pet’s unwanted business.
Instead of picking it up in a plastic baggie—which is just about the worst thing humans have ever lowered themselves to do doing—the AshPoopie simply scoops and cremates the whole mess. Turning it into odorless, 100 percent sterile ash that you can just dump and let the wind carry away. That is until your local laws are updated, requiring you to scoop and bag the ash as well…
Continue reading… “AshPoopie cremates your pet’s indiscretions”
Taking off like a rocket.
Popular crowd funding platform Kickstarter has announced that more than 1 million people have backed at least one project, resulting in more than $100 million dollars in pledges.
Kickstarter allows users to post their projects and find funding for them from the Kickstarter community. Everything from the iPod nano watch to indie films have gotten their start on the crowd funding website.
It took Kickstarter just under two-and-a-half years to reach the 1 million backers milestone, according to a plethora of stats the company published on its blog…
Continue reading… “Kickstarter surpasses $100 million in pledges”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.