DARPA readies unmanned ACTUV sub hunter for sea trials

1,030-hp Chinese supercar concept with turbine range extender to go the distance in Geneva It's been a few years since turbine-equipped electric supercars were in vogue, but they're making a semi-comeback at the Geneva Motor Show. Beijing-based Techrules will reveal a 1,030-hp electric supercar concept with range-extending turbine.  read more DIGITAL CAMERAS Pentax finally joins the full frame DSLR club with the K-1 The K-1 is a new full frame DSLR from Pentax, and one which boasts features not currently seen on rival cameras. The 36.4-megapixel shooter has a built-in five-axis shake-reduction system, a cross-tilt LCD monitor, and Wi-Fi connectivity.  read more ROBOTICS Wearable third arm gives drummers extra robotic rhythm Georgia Tech Professor Gil Weinberg and his research team have developed a drumstick-wielding wearable robotic limb that's able to respond to both the music being played and the movements of the player.​  read more AUTOMOTIVE McLaren Special Ops dresses the P1 and 675LT Spider in (more) carbon McLaren is getting ready to create its largest motor show stand ever at this year's Geneva Motor Show. That stand will provide a home to two interesting, new creations from McLaren Special Operations (MSO). A customer-commissioned bare carbon P1 will be joined by a carbon-themed 675LT Spider.  read more BICYCLES Baby-carrying bicycle transforms into a stroller in seconds The Salamander Bicycle Stroller aims to keep parents on the move by providing a two-wheeled way of getting around town and quickly converting into a stroller when they reach their destination.​​  read more SCIENCE Mind-controlled prosthetic allows movement of individual fingers Using the mind to control prosthetic limbs is slowly becoming a reality thanks to technological advances. Now a team of researchers is claiming another significant breakthrough in this area, building a prosthetic arm whose individual fingers can be controlled via the mind, right down to the pinkie.   read more AUTOMOTIVE All-electric Rapide to enter production by 2018 Aston Martin and Chinese technology company LeTV (now known as LeEco), have reinforced their partnership by signing a deal that will see an all-electric Rapide on the market by 2018.   read more DRONES Nesting platform takes smart drone capabilities to new heights Touted as an all-inclusive, self-powered system that can be deployed anywhere, Dronebox provides 24/7 autonomous capabilities to drones by supplying automated recharging and storage stations that can be left on site.  read more WEARABLES Five hearing wearables you can stuff into your ears In the last year or two we've seen several hearing wearables pop up, using the same smartphone-connected principles as smartwatches to augment, enhance or block out your ears' experience of the world. Let's look at today's best hearing wearables. read more DIGITAL CAMERAS Cambits system lets users build cameras from high-tech blocks Instead of having to buy multiple complete cameras, what if you could just make the systems you needed out of electronic building blocks? Well, that's essentially what Columbia University's Cambits system is.   read more SCIENCE Visible light search for gravitational waves black hole merger comes up empty Last week an international team of scientists announced that they had made history by directly detecting gravitational waves. In light of those findings, a second team has attempted to detect the burst of visible light given off by the source of the waves – two merging black holes.  read more ROBOTICS ​Simplified system could allow for better robot-human communications A new system could provide a more streamlined way for robots to communicate with humans in difficult situations, such as emergency response operations. The new model cuts down the necessary communications by 60 percent, significantly reducing the barrage of data human team members receive. read more PETS Pet On Wheels makes carrying a pet on two wheels safe and practical A dog riding aboard a two-wheeler may make for an amusing spectacle, but it can be dangerous and illegal in many countries. Pet On Wheels is a top-case designed specifically for carrying small-sized pets securely and legally on a motorcycle, scooter or bicycle.  read more WEARABLES Skiing wearable tracks your feet, coaches you into better times on the slopes Wearable technology is taking to the slopes with the introduction of Carv, a two-part monitoring system that provides lessons and real-time feedback for skiers based on motion analysis and pressure data.  read more AUTOMOTIVE Bentley to complete Flying Spur line-up at Geneva, with V8 S debut Having debuted both the W12 and the subsequent V8 versions of its redesigned Flying Spur at the Geneva Motor Show over the last two years, Bentley will complete the model line-up there this year. The new Flying Spur V8 S slots between the two existing models and is the sportiest of the three.  read more SPACE First analysis of Earth-sized planet's atmosphere reveals surprising content Scientists have for the first time analyzed the atmospheric composition of a distant planet roughly the size of our own, revealing a mix of hydrogen, helium and carbon-based molecules.  read more AROUND THE HOME Edible Spoon Maker lets you eat what you eat with Tired of washing your spoons? Well, you could try eating them instead. That's exactly what the Edible Spoon Maker is designed to let you do.  read more BICYCLES Clipon Bottle breaks out of the cage ​Perhaps you don't like having a water bottle cage cluttering up your bike, or you have multiple bikes and you don't want to buy separate cages for each one. If so, then you're the target market for the Clipon Bottle.  read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS Master Ruby on Rails with this Six-Course Coding Bootcamp — 97% off Ruby on Rails is optimized for building web applications quickly and easily--so it's no wonder hundreds of thousands of apps are built on this open source framework. From Airbnb to Hulu to Zendesk, many of the apps you visit daily are built on Ruby on Rails. Which also means, companies like those mentioned are constantly looking for coders with this area of expertise! This bundle has courses aimed at true beginners and advanced courses for developers looking to expand their skills. There's no better way to deep dive into a language and framework that will help take your coding career to new heights!  read more Riversimple launches Rasa, a hydrogen-powered city car for the masses A new hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle prototype has been launched with a claimed fuel economy equivalent to 250 mpg (88.5 km/l). Dubbed "Rasa", the new car boasts a range of 300 miles (483 km) on just a 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) tank of hydrogen.  read more MOTORCYCLES Review: Kawasaki's supercharged H2 is an elegant artwork of supreme violence From its signature mirror paint job and sci-fi looks, to its electric green trellis frame and Ninja star wheels, Kawasaki's H2 is all about shock and awe. And none of it shocks more than when you open the throttle and access the roaring excess of a 200-plus horsepower, supercharged, 1000cc engine.  read more VR The best new Gear VR apps and games The consumer Gear VR has been on store shelves for several months now. We last looked at the best Gear VR content back in December, but there's been a steady stream of weekly new releases since then. Read on for our picks for the best new Gear VR apps and games from the past two months.  read more OUTDOORS KarTent designed to be recycled after the festival's over If you've camped at music festivals, you'll know that tents are often discarded afterwards for campsite crews to clear up. This is, obviously, incredibly wasteful. Recognizing this, a pair of Dutch designers decided that, if people are going to leave their tents, they might as well be recyclable.  read more ROBOTICS Will humanoid robots build tomorrow's aircraft? To give human workers a helping manipulator, JRL and Airbus Group have embarked on a four-year project to develop humanoid robots that can work on aircraft assembly lines.​  read more MEDICAL 3D-printed ear, bone and muscle structures come to life after implantation in mice Researchers have taken a sizeable stride towards future of 3D-printed tissue, working with a newly-developed machine to produce human-scale muscle structures that matured into functional tissue after being implanted into animals. ​​  read more AUTOMOTIVE Lotus introduces Cup 250 as fastest Elise ever The Lotus Elise is already a small sports car, standing about waist high to most adults and being not much longer than a tandem bicycle. Imagine if that became even lighter and more powerful, becoming capable of reaching 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.  read more MEDICAL Engineered immune cells yield "unprecedented" results in early cancer trials Researchers are reporting a significant advance in using immunotherapy to fight cancer, with early experiments using the technique on advanced blood cancer patients producing "unprecedented" response rates of more than 93 percent.  read more MILITARY Milrem combat robot brings modular versatility to the battlefield Estonian defense company Milrem this week took the wraps off its robotic THeMIS – a compact battlewagon billed as the "first-of-its-kind modular hybrid Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)" that acts as a multi-mission vehicle platform to assist or replace soldiers on the battlefield.  read more MATERIALS Colorless ink produces multiple colors when printed While most of us may not give much thought to the dyes used in color inks, they are in fact often quite toxic. That's why scientists have developed a more eco-friendly alternative – a non-toxic ink that produces different colors by altering the nanostructure of the material to which it's applied.  read more BICYCLES Mad 6 carbon fiber mountain bike is for kids only Children's mountain bikes often end up just being stunted "lesser" versions of their adult-sized counterparts. Australia's CarbonXScycles, however, has taken a different approach with its Mad 6. The lightweight carbon fiber bike is designed from the ground up to fit li'l riders.  read more AUTOMOTIVE SsangYong debuts extended Tivoli XLV and hybrid SIV-2 concept SsangYong, a longstanding Korean manufacturer of SUVs, will unveil two different vehicles at the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show. The Tivoli XLV is an extended version of its popular Tivoli model, and the SIV-2 is a concept crossover the company is calling a “mild hybrid.”  read more SCIENCE Could lab-grown mini-brains replace animal testing? New drugs are routinely tried out on laboratory animals, usually rodents, before clinical trials are considered. Now, researchers have developed a possible alternative, creating “mini-brains” made up of a similar mix of cells and neurons found in the human brain.  read more TELECOMMUNICATIONS Simplified optical receiver would cut cost of fiber-to-the-home broadband Researchers have successfully created a new optical receiver that they believe is simple and cheap enough to produce and install on a large scale. The new technology uses a fraction of the components of existing tech, and could provide in-home data transmission rates of up to 10 Gb/s.  read more AUTOMOTIVE Renault relaunches Alpine with ice-cool Vision Having announced plans in 2012 to relaunch the Alpine marque, Renault has today made good on its word. The Alpine Vision show car is a preview of a production version that will go on sale next year. The two-seater coupé will accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in under 4.5 seconds.  read more ARCHITECTURE Shipping container-based student housing planned for Copenhagen CPH Containers aims to offer affordable student housing based on shipping containers. Working with Vandkunsten Architects' Søren Nielsen, the firm has developed a prototype container home which it plans to use as a jumping-off point in constructing a "student village" in Copenhagen later this year.  read more CHILDREN Teeny Tesla Model S for Kids (almost) ready to roll Thanks to a collaboration between veteran toy maker Radio Flyer and Tesla Motors, 3-8 year-old EV enthusiasts will soon be able to hit the parks and sidewalks in their very own Model S. The single seater can zoom along at up to 6 mph for around 6 miles before needing to hit the plug-in charger.  read more ARCHITECTURE MVRDV's shimmering shopping mall nears completion MVRDV's is nearing completion on its Beijing-based Chongwenmen M-cube shopping mall. The building sports a pearlescent facade that, while it doesn't match the brilliant Markthal, still promises to be eye-catching. read more ARCHITECTURE Quirky green-roofed home features kid's slide TheVeryMany shoehorned a light-filled 340 sq m (3,659 sq ft) four-bedroom luxury home into a challenging plot in Strasbourg, France. Dubbed MaHouse, the home was completed in January, 2015. read more HOME ENTERTAINMENT Immersit puts your couch in the movies A French startup ​has developed a device, much like D-Box cinema seats​, that brings movement to your couch when watching movies or games​. Initially launched at CES last month,​ Immersit​ is now live on Kickstarter to fund production costs.  read more BICYCLES Stebles Bike will sport integrated carbon fiber fenders Adding fenders to a bike can be a hassle, plus they often end up rattling or rubbing. That's why UK product designer Mark Stebles created his Stebles Bike – its front and rear mudguards are actually part of its frame.  read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS Enjoy Immersive Virtual Reality with the DSCVR Smartphone Headset – 16% off Many virtual reality headsets retail for thousands of dollars and are overly confusing to operate. The DSCVR bucks this trend with its affordable price point, easy usability, and epic features. Embark on your next virtual journey using either an iOS or Android phone, and take it on-the-go thanks to its super-portable design. This device is a must-have if you want to experience immersive virtual reality without breaking the bank.  read more AUTOMOTIVE
Roundup: Chicago Auto Show 2016
	Now open to the public and well underway, the 2016 Chicago Auto Show features some electrifying debuts, a few things just for fun, and everything in between. Although the press reveals for the 2016 show were slow this year, the longest running auto show in the US is always worth a look.  read more
DIGITAL CAMERAS
Ultra-thin, flat lens could slim your smartphone and camera
	Engineers have developed a new type of thin, flat, and ultralight lens which can still bend light to a single point like traditional lenses. The development could see future cameras use paper-thin lenses rather than bulky protruding optics.   read more
MATERIALS
Chance discovery puts graphene electronics closer to mass production
	A lucky discovery may offer a cheap and simple way of making very delicate graphene much more durable in real-world conditions, paving the way for its use in mass produced electronics.  read more
ARCHITECTURE
Casas Em Movimento homes turn to solar
	Kitting your house out with solar panels is all well and good, but they may spend a good part of the day unable to make the most efficient use of the sun's rays. That is unless your house is inspired by the humble sunflower, which turns and tilts it head to track the movement of the sun.  read more
AUTOMOTIVE
Lexus to premiere hybrid LC500 in Geneva
	Lexus finally made the 2012 LF-LC a reality by revealing the production LC 500 at last month's Detroit auto show. The smooth, curvy V8-powered 2+2 will get a hybrid sibling at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.  read more
DRONES
Rook drone lets users fly around their homes from anywhere in the world
	The Rook drone from Eighty Nine Robots is intended to allow users to remotely do a sweep of the interior of their homes from anywhere in the world via a Wi-Fi connection and an iOS or Android device.  read more
MILITARY
DARPA readies unmanned ACTUV sub hunter for sea trials
	DARPA will christen its Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) on April 9 at the Swan Island shipyard in Portland, Oregon. Also known as the Seahunter, the 139 ft (42 m) long vessel is designed to track potentially hostile submarines for months at a time without a crew.  read more
CHILDREN
Customizable Smart-Kart offers kids a speedy ride and gives parents smartphone monitoring
	The new Arrow Smart-Kart from Actev Motors isn't quite the proper mini-car the evolving Toyota Camatte is, but it does offer a similar experience: a vehicle for young kids to customize and drive. The accompanying smartphone app gives parents peace of mind.   read more
MATERIALS
Super flat material could extend life of Moore's Law
	Researchers could be fending off the demise of Moore's Law with the help of a new kind of flat semiconducting material made of tin monoxide that is only one-atom thick, allowing electrical charges to pass through it faster than silicon or other 3D materials. read more
DIGITAL CAMERAS
Sphericam's second 360-degree camera shoots 4K video at an impressive 60 fps
	Following a successful crowdfunding campaign last year, the Sphericam 2 video camera is now poised to bring its 360-degree, 4K, 60 fps shooting to VR content creators before the mid-year.​  read more
SPACE
Ordnance Survey creates map for Martian ramblers
	Britain's Ordnance Survey (OS) has released its first map of Mars to examine the potential of the agency's advanced cartographic methods in creating detailed, easy to understand maps for planning future missions to the Red Planet.  read more
AUTOMOTIVE
Two new hybrid Optimas electrify Chicago
	Kia introduced two new electrified versions of its Optima sedan at the Chicago Auto Show. One is the 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid to improve fuel economy by ten percent over the current Optima Hybrid. The other is an all-new Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid, the first PHEV for the Korean make.  read more
TINY HOUSES
Off-grid mountain refuge provides shelter at high-altitude
	Archaeus has constructed an interesting off-grid mountain shelter located at an altitude of 2,100 m (6,889 ft) within Romania's Southern Carpathians range. Călțun Shelter offers sanctuary to a local mountain rescue team and anyone else who needs it. read more
SPACE
Geological map to shed light on Pluto's evolution
	​To shed light on Pluto's evolution, NASA scientists have compiled a geological map of a vast swathe of Pluto's surface from data harvested by the New Horizons spacecraft over the course of its Jul. 14. 2015. flyby.  read more
URBAN TRANSPORT
Veemo velomobile could be yours to use, for 28 cents a minute
	While bicycle-sharing services can come in very handy, not everyone wants to pedal a bike everywhere they go. That's where VeloMetro comes into the picture. The startup is developing a point-to-point service that will allow users to rent a sort of e-bike/car hybrid, known as the Veemo.  read more
DIGITAL CAMERAS
Nikon D5 vs. Canon 1D X Mark II
	The Nikon D5 and Canon 1D X Mark II represent the best that DSLR cameras currently have to offer. But how do these flagship cameras compare with each other? Gizmag looks at the key specifications and features of the professional-focused duo ahead of their real-world release.  read more
HOME ENTERTAINMENT
ekko lets multiple listeners share hi-res streamed audio
	ekko Audio has designed a means of sharing hi-res audio wirelessly between four or more listeners. The system's base station can be connected to any audio source, then transmit high quality audio to one or more battery-powered receivers for a shared listening experience.​  read more
AROUND THE HOME
In Nissan's autonomous driving future, even the office chairs park themselves
	Imagine how simple life would be if you could, say, stand up from your desk right now and not even have to worry about pushing in your chair?  read more
SPACE
NASA releases stunning year long solar time-lapse video
	NASA has released a stunning time-lapse video of our Sun constructed from images collected by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) ​over the course of its sixth year in space. The Ultra-HD quality video was recorded in the extreme ultraviolet spectrum.  read more
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
LG's new mid-ranged phones each have one (supposedly) high-end trait
	Usually high-end smartphones are high-end from top to bottom, and mid-ranged phones are mid-ranged from top to bottom. But LG is taking a different approach, with its new "Specialist" X series of phones. read more
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	Welcome to a whole new level of clean. Bidets aren’t just for fancy European bathrooms anymore, you can add one to your existing toilet today. This device provides a cleansing, soothing personal warm water wash at the push of a button and of course, adjustable heat for your bum. Flush your old toilet down the, you know what.  read more