Archive for: Future Tech
- December 27, 2010 12:31 pm
In the world of corporate America and the endless seas of cubicle islands, flickering lights are nothing more than a nuisance/headache-causing annoyance that we have to deal with day in and day out. But six municipal buildings in St Cloud, Minnesota at the will be outfitted with LVX’s “Visible Light Communication System”.
The concept is simple: flickering lights (in this case, LEDs) transfer data to desktop modems that then feed the information to a computer. Similar LEDs in the modem can respond back to the lights overhead, thereby enabling a sort of futuristic exchange of information. And to those worried about endless flickering offices from hell — don’t. The lights flicker faster than the normal human eye can register.
The first generation of LVX’s lighting system will top out 3Mbps. But future iterations will I’m sure gain speed. Such a solution is highly needed in the ever growing world of wireless communication and crowded airwaves.
- September 15, 2010 9:41 am
Being a smartphone aficionado over the last several years has shown me time and time again just how badly battery technology has languished. It seems like we hear stories all the time of the next latest and greatest battery tech that is “just on the horizon”. And yet, that horizon never comes. The stories fade into oblivion and we never hear about them again. This more recent story isn’t about a type of battery per say, but more in how batteries charge. Currently, batteries need an electronic power source, whether it be a battery or a wall out let, to leech power from. There’s plenty of times in the average person’s day that such things just aren’t possible. Enter the world of 2035 and the spectacle of batteries charging themselves solely by the human voice.
- September 14, 2010 8:05 am
The Segway is one of the coolest gadgets that failed. Instead of transforming the way in which civilians traverse their great cities, the Segway has become nothing more than a mall cop tool, shuttling them from point A to point B in an ultra non-cool fashion. (Their’s just something about mall cops, their helmets, and the overall look that just doesn’t work…) Add in the fact that you have plenty of heath activists pissing and moaning about personal transport vehicles like the Segway, and how they will cause fat America to only get fatter. So what do you do?
First, remove the mall cop. Second, add a treadmill. Yeah, it’s kind of stupid to have a personal transport vehicle that still requires you to propel your own motion. The way I see it is you either walk if you’re that worried about your figure or ride if you’re not. Of course, old people who want to fly down the road and shed their inhibitions while “walking” 0.5 MPH could really get something out of this…
You know, it seems like the Japanese get all the cool tech before us. Seeing as how a large chunk of tech manufacturing companies are based in or around Japan, such a claim isn’t too surprising. On that note, TV tech is hot. Honestly, when isn’t it? People are always looking forward a year or two to new TVs in hopes of bigger and better *insert favorite TV show/sport here*. Currently, 3D is the hot fad. While I haven’t really caught on to it yet (mainly because all that I’ve seen so far…sucks), the clever researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan have something even better up their sleeve — “Touchable” 3D TV.
The term sounds almost gimmicky. Can you really “touch, poke, and prod” an image from a TV? “Yes!” — say the researchers. Outside of insanely expensive gaming setups or home theaters, the researchers see the tech being reserved more for medical situations such as surgerys.
There are so many possibilities. What would you do with touchable 3D?
*Mobile Post*
Think Star Wars-like holographic images are still years off from the hands of mere mortals? Well, to be fair, the examples at CES are more geared towards commercial uses. Even still, you can’t beat the coolness.
The 180 degree viewing angle and plug-n-play functionality mean you don’t have to be a rocket scientist or programmer to get unique and captivating holographic images. In case you were wondering, the seemingly futuristic HoloAD displays images in SXGA and above resolutions. Money. Expect more when I actually sit down.
The science world is currently fixating on those uber cool Zinc-air batteries that are set to debut next year, but the really cool technology is further ahead still. Batteries of late have one simple problem: fast discharge times, length charge times, and short life span just to name a few. Did you ever think that something so abundant and widespread as paper could be a mobile energy saving grace?
Yes, normal paper has been turned into a battery thanks to the many great minds at Stanford University. I should point out that this “paper battery” is actually more like a super capacitor in that it can’t hold a charge very long, but more than makes up for that shortcoming with extremely quick electrical transfer rates — perfect for electric vehicles. In order to get the electrons flowing, scientists coated a piece of paper with ink made of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires. These compounds allow the electrical juices to flow providing a lightweight and cheap battery that is easily scalable.
But will it last? Hows does 40,000 charge/discharge cycles sound? That’s many times greater than current battery technology and should ensure that battery replacements in the future will be a lot less relevant. Because of the high surface to density ratio, hybrid cars and other electric vehicles are prime candidates for a paper based battery. Not to mention, think of all the new possibilities gadget manufacturers will have with paper batteries which will ultimately be smaller than current iterations. Though as mentioned before, seeing as how current versions of this battery/super capacitor boast a greater ability for electrical transfer as opposed to actual runtime, any gadget applications may need a bit more tweaking in order to provide 1-month long runtimes.
The next time you’re writing on that piece of paper thinking how useless it is in the digital age, remember this post and think again. It won’t be too much longer before we start seeing some actual usable concepts pop up.
GizmoWatch > GizMag
While talking about there here and now in the gadget world is certainly worthwhile and exciting, looking ahead into the future of geekdom is in my opinion just as exciting and at times more exciting. Letting our minds wonder with what could be allows for some truly amazing concepts — wonderful concepts such as the T-Glove. This do-it-all wonder gadget is a astronaut-like wrist device that combines a phone, MID, GPS, and more all within easy reach of five of your most precious digits. With the embedded RFID chip even more crazy and untold functions can unfold making this seemingly niche gadget all the more useful. Truth is, if this were released tomorrow for a stomach turning price, I’d let my stomach do all the flips it wanted, sell my soul, and possibly even prized paperclip collection….*shifts eyes*. What would you do for one?
Gizmo Watch > James Dyson Awards
- November 23, 2009 8:12 am
If I ever thought I would hear someone say that a “camper” could be cool, I would have chuckled and laughed at that individual, convinced that this person was a few fries short of a happy meal. Now if they were talking about the C3 Hotel Cube (designed by Jianbo Huang & Ting Zhao), I would agree — campers are cool again. As is standard with pretty much any concept vehicle, future tech rains in on several fronts. From electronically controlled glass to dual action stove/refrigerator to pull out awning, this camper is the perfect for a weekend get away. Being the sports junkie that I also have living within, I can’t help but think how awesome such a camper would be for tailgating weekends. *dreams….* Slew of pictures inside.
- November 19, 2009 12:19 pm
Nothing says hi-tech and “futuristic” like a good ‘ol fashioned laser beam (even better when attached to shark heads…..) As more people take to the streets on foot, collisions with the metal giants that are automobiles increases. It’s a sad part of life. Technology is a great thing that makes the world go round more efficiently. Why not use that technology in new and innovative ways? Introducing the “Laser Walk”.
The point of the Laser Walk is to first and foremost replace traffic lights. Pretty cool. Second, protecting humans who venture into the paths of large numbers of metallic mass that whiz by mean these little electrons have plenty to watch out for. Whether or not it will actually save many if any added lives of course remains to be seen.
I’m interested though in how they’re going to create lasers that are robust enough to project images in the air and at the same time not blind anyone stupid enough to look into the posts that the beams will surely originate from. Of course, if these lasers are red-light-running-vaporizers, well, then a few scorched eyeballs are to be expected.
Geekologie > Wired
