For most of us, the design of the basic household electrical outlet has changed very little over the course of our lives, and for something so common, it’s kind of surprising that it hasn’t been updated to match our modern lifestyles. Sure, we’re starting to see networked “smart” outlets, but those are mostly for people interested in home automation, not for general household use. But a new kind of electrical outlet is on its way, one which could see wider adoption simply because of its ease of use and the simplicity of installation. The INLET, from LivingPlug, which is currently… read more

Technology is more a victim of fashion than of wear-and-tear. Supercomputers available just a few years ago are now tossed on the scrapheap by savvy tech enthusiasts, despite most probably being able to run the same tasks just as well as their newer counterparts. There’s an attitude within the computer industry that holds everything must be state-of-the-art. What was banded as the best device in 2005 is now looked at in disgust by computer buffs the world over. Times are changing. In the past, the word was ‘speed’ – how many computations can a device do and how fast. Now… read more

Even Martin Cooper, commonly known as the father of mobile phones could not have imagined the penetration of his device into our lives. To the extent that mobile phones are being called the “third hand” of human beings. Despite their prevalence, there are still concerns about the radiation emitted from the devices into our ears, and therefore brains. In this post you can find some simple ways to protect yourself from radiation. 1. Go hands-free: Recent research say that wired telephones are less dangerous than mobile phones, so whenever you have access to fixed line phones go for them. 2. Use headphones:… read more

Since the first computer and monitor combination were created in the early 1970’s, very little has changed in the actual design and layout of keyboards. While some are shaped differently and vary in ergonomics, a keyboard has always been a plastic or metal slab with keys spread out on it. That all changes in 2013. A company called TransluSense has debuted their Luminae Keyboard+ and Trackpad+ typing device. It is a glass surface keyboard that uses state-of-the-art lasers and infrared sensors to detect finger movements and key presses on the glass. It’s curved for an ergonomic feel and design. It… read more

The trouble with many tech products is their relatively brief usable lifespans, with plenty of people replacing key items such as their laptops and netbooks after just a few short years, which adds up to more e-waste and more demand for new materials for producing the next item. But if the main components of these portable computing devices lasted for ten years instead of just a couple of years, and the core of the device, such as the CPU, memory, etc., is in your smartphone instead, it could mean far fewer of these in the e-waste pile. One company is… read more

Paper use on a global scale is enormous. We have no one to blame but ourselves as many daily transactions still require paperwork despite technological advances towards a paperless society. In an effort to preserve forests and the environment, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have unveiled a promising and cutting edge “rewritable electronic paper”. The interesting part about this e-paper is that it can retain information written upon it without using electricity and it is designed to replace paper products that only have a limited lifespan such as tickets or daily office papers, thus saving on waste and energy. This phenomenal project… read more

For music lovers, romantics, and throwers of spontaneous off-grid dance parties, this gadget’s for you. When you want to share your tunes, but the little speakers in your smartphone or iPod just won’t do it justice, it’s time to break out the speaker. Pair up your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone with this rugged portable speaker, put your dancing shoes on, and leave the power to the sun. This little solar-powered speaker, measuring just 6 1/2″ x 6″ x 1″, can not only play tunes for up to eight hours on a single charge (5 hours), but can also charge up your mobile… read more

This is new. A solar-powered plug from Korea  that sticks to your window and absorbs sunlight for use later. Brilliant. Unfortunately, it’s only available to European markets due to the style of the plug, but a version for the U.S. is on its way. The Window Socket is the brainchild of Korean designers Kyuho Song and Boa Oh. It’s not too powerful–yet–but it can definitely get you through the day. Just like all other solar devices, the Window Socket absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity you can use to power small electronics, charge your phone/tablet, plug in a reading… read more

While there exist many solar-feed beacons to provide efficient light and heat whilst indulging in the great outdoors, their productivity is often compromised when you need them most – as the sun sails vastly beneath the horizon and you find yourself shrouded in darkness. The CampStove, created by Biolite, is fueled by biomass, which is easily comprised of common woodland trimmings. These include twigs, wood pellets, and pine-cones. Such sources are abundantly scattered throughout woods and yards, and, as they require no tree chopping or other harmful practices, are considered renewable. Once trimmings are collected, they can be placed in… read more

Flying automobiles have been dreamt of since Leonardo Da Vinci started painting, and were first popularized in the mid-1900’s by shows like ‘The Jetsons’. The production of these vehicles is the next logical step in transportation, yet reaching that point is harder than you may think. There are specific explanations for this delay in futuristic automobile production, and here are the reasons why we don’t have flying Deloreans in our garages. Flying Cars don’t exist because Self-Driving cars don’t exist Until reliable self-driving cars can be mass-produced, we will never see a legitimate flying car. Of course, there are prototypes… read more