AESTHATIC APPEAL MAY HAVE NEUROLOGICAL LINK TO CONTEMPLATION AND SELF-ASSESSMENT

AESTHATIC APPEAL MAY HAVE NEUROLOGICAL LINK TO CONTEMPLATION AND SELF-ASSESSMENT, NYU RESEARCHERS FIND

(April 16, 2012)  A network of brain regions which is activated during intense aesthetic experience overlaps with the brain network associated with inward contemplation and self-assessment, New York University researchers have found. Their study sheds new light on the nature of the aesthetic experience, which appears to integrate sensory and emotional reactions in a manner linked with their personal relevance.

The study’s co-authors were: Edward Vessel, a researcher in NYU’s Center for Brain Imaging; Gabrielle Starr, an associate professor in NYU’s Department of English; and Nava Rubin, an associate professor in NYU’s Center for Neural Science. It appears in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience and may be downloaded here.

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SIM-DRIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLE

SIM-Drive Unveils EV Prototype With Long Drive Range

(April 15, 2012)  SIM-Drive Corp, a Japan-based firm that develops electric vehicles (EVs), announced that it has completed the "SIM-WIL," the second vehicle for its advanced development project.

 The company has been engaged in the development since January 2011. The project is for prototyping vehicles to be commercialized in about 2014 and participated by 34 companies/organizations that are planning to launch EV businesses in the future.

The amount of battery mounted on the SIM-WIL is larger than that of the "SIM-LEI," the first vehicle for the advanced development project, and the EV has a drive range of 351km (approx 218 miles) per charge. In its B-segment body (4,150 (L) x 1,715 (W) x 1,550mm (H)), an in-car space equivalent to that of an E-segment vehicle was realized, SIM-Drive said. Also, it can accelerate from zero to 100km/h (approx 62.1mph) in 5.4 seconds, which is equivalent to the acceleration performance of a middle-grade sports car.

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THE 10 FASTEST DYING INDUSTRIES IN AMERICA

(April 14, 2012)  The rise of cheap imports, technological advancements and the financial crisis have collectively delivered a harsh blow to some U.S. industries.

IBISWorld is out with a list of 10 American industries that have seen sharp revenue declines, a fall in industry participants and a declining life cycle stage between 2002 and 2012.

Some of the worst hit industries include newspaper publishing, women's and girls apparel manufacturing and appliance repair industries.

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BOEING TO JUMP INTO THE MOBILE PHONE BUSINESS

(April 13, 2012)  The Boeing Co. is developing a mobile phone based on the Android operating system that will compete with other manufacturers offering highly secure communication devices, company officials said April 10.

Roger Krone, president of Boeing Network and Space Systems, told reporters in Arlington, Va., that this was probably the first time the aerospace and defense industry giant will offer a communication device designed to use cellular networks.

The company is near the end of the development cycle and getting ready to launch what he called “the Boeing phone” in late 2012, said Brian Palma, vice president of the company’s secure infrastructure group.

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PEBBLE: E-PAPER WATCH FOR I-PHONE AND ANDROID

PEBBLE: E-PAPER WATCH FOR I-PHONE AND ANDROID

A Product Design project in Palo Alto, CA by Pebble Technology

THIS PROJECT WILL BE FUNDED ON FRIDAY MAY 18, 11:00PM EDT.

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NOOK Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™

NOOK Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™

World’s #1 Reader now with breakthrough GlowLight™:

* First & Only Reader designed for perfect bedtime reading

* Breakthrough technology creates a soft glow optimized for low light reading

* Warm light illuminates entire screen evenly

* End bedtime reading debate-when you want to read & your partner wants to sleep

* GlowLight turns on instantly and adjusts easily with a touch

* Revolutionary built-in anti-glare screen protector delivers just-like-paper experience – great in bright sun

* Exclusive Best-Text™ & adjustable fonts make words crisp & clear

* Fastest, most advanced E Ink® display for seamless page turns

* Lightest NOOK ever – perfect for long reading sessions and carrying everywhere

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MARS VIKING ROBOTS 'FOUND LIFE'

(April 13, 2012)  Mathematical analysis adds to growing body of work questioning the negative results of a life-detection experiment 36 years ago.

New analysis of 36-year-old data, resuscitated from printouts, shows NASA found life on Mars, an international team of mathematicians and scientists conclude in a paper published this week.

Further, NASA doesn't need a human expedition to Mars to nail down the claim, neuropharmacologist and biologist Joseph Miller, with the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, told Discovery News.

"The ultimate proof is to take a video of a Martian bacteria. They should send a microscope -- watch the bacteria move," Miller said.

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GESTURE-BASED COMPUTING

(April 12, 2012)  Your Work PC Will Soon Be Able To Read Your Gestures And Your Moods

There is a tidal wave of change coming to the devices you use for work.

In as little as five years, gesture-based computing could become the norm in the workplace, Forrester analyst Frank Gillett told Business Insider.

But that's not all. Enterprises will give their employees a completely new kind of computer. Instead of a PC and a phone, companies will issue something that Gillett calls a "frame." The frame will work closely with other devices like tablets, PCs and smartphones.

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A QUANTUM NETWORK

A QUANTUM NETWORK

An elementary quantum network of single atoms in optical cavities

Quantum networks are distributed quantum many-body systems with tailored topology and controlled information exchange. They are the backbone of distributed quantum computing architectures and quantum communication. Here we present a prototype of such a quantum network based on single atoms embedded in optical cavities. We show that atom–cavity systems form universal nodes capable of sending, receiving, storing and releasing photonic quantum information

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QLOCKTWO / BIEGER & FUNK

The world′s first wristwatch in words at Baselworld

(April 12, 2012)  In a square there is a grid of 110 letters. When the stainless steel button is pressed, words light up in unexpected places which describe the time. Whenever you look at your QLOCKTWO W, it´s a new experience.

QLOCKTWO W, case in natural brushed stainless steel or black, 35 x 35 x 7mm, black leather or natural rubber strap, calendar day and second display, LED technology. Available from autumn 2012.

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IN-VEHICLE WIRELESS CHARGING

(April 11, 2012)  The idea isn't new to the aftermarket crowd, but Mopar has just announced the summer arrival of the industry's first OEM wireless power mat, which is designed specifically for the 2013 Dodge Dart. It'll fit snugly within the center console tray, and will charge any properly equipped MP3 player or smartphone. The power mat will retail for $200 and will be available from Chrysler's network of dealers. As for the 2013 Dart itself, it'll set you back a mere $15,995. You'll find an inside peek at Mopar's solution, along with the full PR, right after the break.

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THE PRINGLES PACKAGE SUCKS

This Chip Can Blooms Into A Bowl

(April 11, 2012)  Young designer Dohyuk Kwon encountered the same problem we all have before: He was enjoying a package of Pringles potato crisps until, suddenly, he found the chip level had sunk to a critical expletive-laden stage just below the reach of his fingers. “So I sketched a more convenient package of chips,” he tells Co.Design.

His concept is called Bloom Chips, and it won a Red Dot Award for its obvious brilliance: Bloom Chips is a wrinkled cylinder that unfurls to create its own bowl. “Its mechanism is more complex than it looks,” says Kwon. “Simply speaking, it’s like a blooming flower.” The idea is so instantly impressive that it’s impossible to imagine why no one at Procter & Gamble thought of it first.

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CREATIVE 3D CHOCOLATE FROM YOUR DESKTOP

(April 11, 2012)  Choc Edge is proudly launching the world first commercial 3D chocolate printer, Choc Creator, for users who make creative chocolates. Choc Creator is a simple, yet versatile desktop 3D chocolate printer. Learn more about our technology. Choc Edge aims to become world leader in cutting edge chocolate priniting solutions.

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CHINESE STUDENT BUILTS A SOLAR CAR

April 5, Ningbo, Zhejiang Xiangshan technical schools 19-year-old sophomore student Zhuzhen Lin spent 15,000 yuan of money, self-developed a solar car, no gas, no oil, sun every day, able to open 70 kilometers.

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MAESTRO TAGLIAPIETRA VISITS ISTANBUL IN APRIL

MAESTRO TAGLIAPIETRA VISITS ISTANBUL IN APRIL

Tagliapietra, who vested his heart in the magical world of glass and shaped the history of glass art, will display his unique style at the Glass Furnace once again. The artist, crowned a ``maestro'' while he was merely 21 years old, will host 12 glass-blowing demonstrations for Glass Furnace guests on April 21-26. Glass makers, aspiring artists and people who love the art from all corners of the globe will be joined at the Glass Furnace by world famous glass artist Dante Marioni and Seattleglass artist Janusz Pozniak, who will assist Tagliapietra in his demonstrations.

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WINE EWER AND BASIN

WINE EWER AND BASIN

Wine Ewer and Basin

Northern Sung dynasty

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FRITZ DREEISBACH

FRITZ DREEISBACH

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LINO TAGLIAPIETRA

LINO TAGLIAPIETRA >>

CESARE TOFFOLO

CESARE TOFFOLO >>

ALICE SPRINGS

ALICE SPRINGS >>

MARCHANDISE Pol & HADI Mostafa

MARCHANDISE Pol & HADI Mostafa >>

TOM DEKYVERE

TOM DEKYVERE >>

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PATRICK PRIMEAU

PATRICK PRIMEAU >>

STEPHEN ROLFE POWELL

STEPHEN ROLFE POWELL

web page >>

SONG DYNASTY CERAMIC

SONG DYNASTY CERAMIC

Song dynasty ceramic sells for $26.7M in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AP) — A 900-year-old dish has smashed the record for Chinese Song dynasty ceramics sold at auction, fetching $26.7 million.

Sotheby's said Wednesday that eight bidders competed for the Ruyao washer over 15 minutes before it sold for 208 million Hong Kong dollars ($26.7 million). That was triple the pre-sale estimate.

Sotheby's said the price surpassed the previous record set in April 2008 for Song dynasty ceramics, when a vase sold by the auction house went for HK$67.5 million.

The auction house said the flower-shaped bowl was from a private Japanese collection and was "arguably the most desirable piece of Ru official ware remaining in private hands."

The auction result underscores Hong Kong's position as the world's third largest auction hub, driven by soaring demand from newly wealthy Chinese collectors.

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NEW “SOLAR JACKET” LETS KINDLE LAST FOREVER

(April 3, 2012)  New 'solar jacket' lets Kindle last forever (well, for as long as the sun keeps shining)

* Built-in solar panel charges Kindle

* Guaranteed to offer at least three months battery life without a power socket

* Charges three days' worth of reading per hour

* Backup battery offers three weeks' reading

* Solar gizmo also has LED light

A new solar Kindle case lets readers 'top up' their gadget simply by leaving it in the sun - and could mean holidaymakers no longer have to bother bringing a cable.

The case has a built-in solar panel and battery - and the battery is guaranteed to provide three months of reading time in 'normal' sunlight, without dipping into the Kindle's own power.

The gadget goes on sale this week, priced at $80/£50.

Once the gadget's topped up, the SolarKindle diverts power to a backup battery.

Eight hours will fully charge the backup , which offers roughly three weeks' use. The battery also powers an LED light, which can run for 50 hours

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FLYING CAR: PAL-V

(April 3, 2012)  Flying Car Makes Successful Maiden Flight

The Dutch company PAL-V Europe NV has successfully concluded test flights of its flying car, PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle). During the past two weeks, several test flights were conducted at the Gilze Rijen Airport (The Netherlands). The patented vehicle flies in the air like a gyrocopter with lift generated by an auto-rotating rotor and forward speed produced by a foldable push propeller on the back. On the road it drives like a sports car. No new infrastructure is required because it uses existing roads and airstrips.

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“TAXI OF TOMORROW” UNVEILED IN NYC

“TAXI OF TOMORROW” UNVEILED IN NYC

Nissan Taxi of Tomorrow Makes World Debut on Eve of 2012 New York International Auto Show

-Available for public viewing beginning April 6-

-Driver and passenger input informs key vehicle features -

-Coming to New York City streets next year-

(April 3, 2012) Each day, 600,000 New Yorkers hop in the back of a taxi – the iconic yellow cab that is a symbol of New York City around the world. Starting today, the first full vehicle prototype of the Taxi of Tomorrow can be seen by drivers, passengers and owners. The 2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi, New York's Taxi of Tomorrow, will make its global debut tonight at a special event in SoHo with Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

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RACHEL de JOODE

RACHEL de JOODE

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SELF-SCULPTING SAND

(April 3, 2012)  New algorithms could enable heaps of ‘smart sand’ that can assume any shape, allowing spontaneous formation of new tools or duplication of broken mechanical parts.

Imagine that you have a big box of sand in which you bury a tiny model of a footstool. A few seconds later, you reach into the box and pull out a full-size footstool: The sand has assembled itself into a large-scale replica of the model.

That may sound like a scene from a Harry Potter novel, but it’s the vision animating a research project at the Distributed Robotics Laboratory (DRL) at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. At the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in May — the world’s premier robotics conference — DRL researchers will present a paper describing algorithms that could enable such “smart sand.” They also describe experiments in which they tested the algorithms on somewhat larger particles — cubes about 10 millimeters to an edge, with rudimentary microprocessors inside and very unusual magnets on four of their sides.

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HUMAN USED FIRE 1 MILLION YEARS AGO, scientists say.

(April 3, 2012)  Ash and charred bone, the earliest known evidence of controlled use of fire, reveal that human ancestors may have used fire a million years ago, a discovery that researchers say will shed light on this major turning point in human evolution.

Scientists analyzed material from Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, a massive cavern located near the edge of the Kalahari Desert. Previous excavations there had uncovered an extensive record of human occupation.

Microscopic analysis revealed clear evidence of burning, such as plant ash and charred bone fragments. These materials were apparently burned in the cave, as opposed to being carried in there by wind or water, and were found alongside stone tools in a layer dating back about 1 million years. Surface fracturing of ironstone, the kind expected from fires, was also seen.

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TERRAFUGIA

TERRAFUGIA

Major Milestone takes "Flying Car" Closer to First Delivery

Second Generation Transition® Street-Legal Airplane Takes Flight

The Transition® Street-Legal Airplane is now a significant step closer to being a commercial reality.  The production prototype of the Transition® Street-Legal Airplane completed its successful first flight at Plattsburgh International Airport in Plattsburgh, NY on March 23, 2012.  The same vehicle has also successfully conducted initial drive and conversion testing, demonstrating the Transition’s capability to provide unmatched freedom, flexibility and fun in personal aviation.  Developed by Terrafugia, Inc., the Transition® is a two seat personal aircraft capable of driving on roads and highways, parking in a single car garage, and flying with unleaded automotive fuel.

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ISAAC CORDAL

ISAAC CORDAL

WAITING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Last two months I´ve been working in a project called ‘Waiting for Climate Change’. It will be exhibited on the beach of De Panne as well as in a local historic villa once occupied by Chalutier. This is part of the Beaufort04 edition. For this project I made some ephemeral installations in different locations of the coast. ‘ Waiting for climate change‘ presents a few stereotypes of persons that confronting climate change in different ways. Some of them climbed to the top of a pole from where they look the horizon.

30 Locations spread across 9 coastal municipalities throughout the Flemish coast.

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BMW i8 SPYDER

BMW i8 SPYDER

BMW i8 Spyder Concept Will Be Revealed In Full At The New York Auto Show

BMW has recently introduced its i8 Concept Spyder, which is known to be the third model coming out from the ‘i’ lineup of the automaker. The BMW i8 Spyder is a two-place convertible that comes with a plug-in hybrid powertrain which is capable of powering up the front and rear wheels. Due to the results of the vehicle concept’s initial testing, the company decided to venture on the newest BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept to bring about an innovative and high-performance sports car.

The i8 Spyder’s electric motor of 96kW 131 horsepower can power up the front axle whereas its mid-mounted turbocharged three-cylinder gas engine is capable of generating 223 horsepower that can power up the rear as well. You can find a center funnel situated between two power sources with which a bunch of lithium-ion batteries have been placed. Together, they can generate an overall torque output of 354 horsepower and 405 lb.-ft. When it comes to electricity, the i8 Spyder is capable of travelling roughly 19 miles before its gas engine calls for a battery recharge.

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DAMIEN HIRST

DAMIEN HIRST

Death becomes him: Damien Hirst at Tate Modern – in pictures

The artist's first retrospective in Britain will bring together key works from the past 20 years, from Mother and Child Divided to The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. At London's Tate Modern from 4 April to 9 September 2012

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JOSEPH WALSH

JOSEPH WALSH >>

JIN MORIGAMI

JIN MORIGAMI >>

FUKAMI SUEHARU

FUKAMI SUEHARU >>

SUZUKI OSAMU

SUZUKI OSAMU >>

ANJIN ABE

ANJIN ABE >>

HIROSHI SUZUKI

HIROSHI SUZUKI >>

see the video >>

CHARLIE DAVIDSON

CHARLIE DAVIDSON >>

RALPH LAUREN

RALPH LAUREN >>

LUKE BATTEN

LUKE BATTEN >>

ALISA TONINATO / FELION STUDIOS

ALISA TONINATO / FELION STUDIOS >>

JOE HOGAN

JOE HOGAN >>

HONEYCOMBS OF MAGNETS

(March 31, 2012)  Honeycombs of magnets could lead to new type of computer processing

Imperial scientists take an important step in developing a material using nano-sized magnets that could lead to new electronic devices

Scientists have taken an important step forward in developing a new material using nano-sized magnets that could ultimately lead to new types of electronic devices, with greater processing capacity than is currently feasible, in a study published today in the journal Science.

Many modern data storage devices, like hard disk drives, rely on the ability to manipulate the properties of tiny individual magnetic sections, but their overall design is limited by the way these magnetic 'domains' interact when they are close together.

Now, researchers from Imperial College London have demonstrated that a honeycomb pattern of nano-sized magnets, in a material known as spin ice, introduces competition between neighbouring magnets, and reduces the problems caused by these interactions by two-thirds. They have shown that large arrays of these nano-magnets can be used to store computable information. The arrays can then be read by measuring their electrical resistance.

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MATT STONE

MATT STONE >>

OSCILLATING GEL ACTS LIKE ARTIFICIAL SKIN

(March 30, 2012) Oscillating Gel Acts Like Artificial Skin, Giving Robots Potential Ability to “Feel”

Pitt and MIT researchers accomplish first demonstration of oscillating gels that can be “revived” by mechanical pressure

Sooner than later, robots may have the ability to “feel.” In a paper published online March 26 in Advanced Functional Materials, a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated that a nonoscillating gel can be resuscitated in a fashion similar to a medical cardiopulmonary resuscitation. These findings pave the way for the development of a wide range of new applications that sense mechanical stimuli and respond chemically—a natural phenomenon few materials have been able to mimic.

A team of researchers at Pitt made predictions regarding the behavior of Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) gel, a material that was first fabricated in the late 1990s and shown to pulsate in the absence of any external stimuli. In fact, under certain conditions, the gel sitting in a petri dish resembles a beating heart.

Along with her colleagues, Anna Balazs, Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, predicted that BZ gel not previously oscillating could be re-excited by mechanical pressure. The prediction was actualized by MIT researchers, who proved that chemical oscillations can be triggered by mechanically compressing the BZ gel beyond a critical stress. A video from the MIT group showing this unique behavior can be accessed at http://vvgroup.scripts.mit.edu/WP/?p=1078.

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METAL DETECTOR KNOWS HOW MUCH CASH IS IN YOUR WALLET

(March 30, 2012)  It has long been an urban legend that the security strips found in US banknotes let shadowy government agencies use metal detectors to track how much cash you are carrying.

Even though the strips are made of plastic, the legend is so pervasive it once made an appearance in an episode of TV series The X-Files. Now it seems the conspiracy theory may have been half right: it is possible to both detect and count concealed banknotes printed with magnetic inks.

These inks are already used by vending machines to verify the authenticity of a single note, but physicists Christopher Fuller and Antao Chen at the University of Washington in Seattle realised that large bundles of notes would contain enough magnetic material to be detected at a distance, potentially allowing police to catch people attempting to smuggle cash over the border.

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