Fwd Gizmag News - McLaren s MP4-12C Surprisingly c

 
От кого: stass...@yandex.ru>
  Кому: Иосиф Ольшаницкий <fesoy1@rambler.ru>, mironov@mironov.ru
  Дата: Thu, 19 May 2011 11:14:05 +0400
 
 
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18.05.2011, 17:37, "Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine" <email@gizmag.com>:
 

Welcome to the newsletter for Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine.

These are the headlines for May the 18th, 2011.



McLaren’s MP4-12C: Surprisingly close to something-for-everyone
McLaren’s MP4-12C is out and the company is pleased by a worldwide order book of 1700-plus units. It’s a remarkable car in many ways, not least for being the first tilt at genuine populism from the only brand that matches or exceeds Ferrari for Formula One-derived brand cachet. That’s not to say they’re pitching it against the Toyotas and the like. But where the company’s last own-branded effort, the F1, brought pure race-car values to the road – right down to the ever-controversial ground-effect aerodynamics – the 12C serves up the broadest of dynamic spectra, at the mere touch of a couple of buttons. It’s designed as genuinely well-rounded personal transport, able to negotiate the peak hour bumper-to-bumper as well as it might the Laguna Seca corkscrew. Read More




World’s first 100 watt equivalent LED replacement bulb
Currently the brightest options for those looking to ditch their incandescent light bulbs in favor of the longer life and more energy efficient LED variety are those equivalent to 60 watt incandescent bulbs, such as the GeoBulb II. Things got a little brighter last month when California-based Switch Lighting announced its 75 watt-equivalent LED bulb and now the company has gone one better with the announcement of the world’s first 100 watt-equivalent LED bulb. Read More




MV Agusta's 1000cc 148 kW, 200 mph, F4 RR
MV Agusta has announced a new 148 kw, 1000cc version of its F4 sports bike aimed at homologating a bike with the potential to push Ducati’s 1098S, BMW’s S1000RR and Kawasaki’s ZX10R off the superstock podium. Equipped with a new 13,700 rpm short stroke engine, the original F4 frame updated to enable steering-head angle adjustment via interchangeable inserts and new and better ;hlins suspension units and lightweight wheels, the new MV Agusta F4 RR is more than double the price of any of its aforementioned competitors, so let’s hope we see a few on the racetrack that can validate the EUR 22,900 (US$32,500) price tag. Read More




New ATM with integrated video conferencing lets customers talk live with a remote teller
Since their introduction in the 1960's, automated teller machines (ATMs) have provided bank customers with a convenient way to access their cash 24 hours a day seven days a week without having to wait until banking hours and queue to see a teller. Now the world's biggest ATM provider is putting the "teller" back in the automated teller machine with the unveiling of an ATM with integrated two-way video conferencing that lets users talk live with a remote teller. Read More




Axe-Fx II: Rack-mounted, all-in-one preamp/effects processor
Software-based guitar and amp emulators like Guitar Rig, AmpliTube and GarageBand have given players access to a multitude of sound and setups otherwise impossible to achieve without an unlimited budget, and a huge amount of storage space. While these might be perfect for the home or studio, musicians heading out on the road may want to invest in a more durable hardware-based, rack-mounted solution. Fractal Audio is about to unleash a beast of a rack-mounted, all-in-one preamp/effects processor billed as the most powerful instrument processor ever created. Read More




Eurocopter premieres EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style luxury helicopter in Geneva
A year on from the first unveiling of the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style multi-purpose helicopter concept at last year's European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Eurocopter has shown the first finished aircraft at EBACE 2011. Inspired by Mercedes' high-end vehicles, the twin-engine Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter features a versatile interior enabled by a modular approach that allows the aircraft to be tailored to suit a range of travel needs. Read More




Space Shuttle Endeavour embarks on final flight
The NASA space shuttle Discovery flew its last mission on February 24th, and now it's the Endeavour's turn to bow out of service. At 8:56 a.m. EDT this Monday (May 16), the shuttle launched from the Kennedy Space Center for the final time, on a mission to bring supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). Not only is it the last flight for the Endeavour, but the second-last flight within the entire shuttle program. Read More




Autonomous robots could collaborate on mapping hazardous environments
Imagine you're a firefighter arriving at a burning building, but you have no idea what the interior layout of that building is. Do you just enter, then risk your life by randomly walking up and down smokey hallways looking around? What would work better would be if someone or something could quickly map out the building first, then you could take that information and concentrate on getting directly where you need to go. That's the idea behind the U.S. Army's Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance Program, which would see swarms of small rolling, hopping, crawling or flying robots working together on reconnaissance missions in civilian or military applications. Read More




New earphone technology could be the answer to 'listener fatigue'
It’s no big secret that wearing in-ear devices, such as stereo earphones or hearing aids, can cause the ears to hurt over time. According to the engineers at Colorado’s Asius Technologies, however, this isn’t due simply to a poor fit or high volume levels. Instead, it’s caused by an “acoustic reflex,” that no amount of earbud-reshaping or decreases in volume will alleviate. There are reportedly ways of minimizing or even eliminating what’s known as “listener fatigue,” though – these include a flexible membrane, and even an inflatable ear-tip device created by Asius. Read More




'Sighted' wheelchair taken for first successful test drive
The introduction of the white cane early in the last century gave blind and visually-impaired users a mobility tool that not only helped them to get around, but also allowed them to be seen by others. Now researchers from Sweden's Lule; University of Technology – the same place that designed the autonomous wheelchair – have developed and publicly tested a system which could potentially give wheelchair-bound blind people a virtual white stick to help them detect and avoid obstacles. An electric wheelchair has been fitted with a navigational laser scanner which provides virtual 3D maps of the surroundings, and sends feedback about any obstructions to the user via a haptic interface. Read More




sbyke: the BMX, scooter and skateboard mash-up
Although a good while ago now, I still remember the bruising, the aches, and the shame of attempting (and mostly failing) all the latest tricks for skateboard or BMX. Others have faired much better, and the sports have continued to grow in popularity. Bart and Steve Wilson have now designed an interesting hybrid, which takes bits from board and bike to create a unique scooter called the sbyke (pronounced "spike"). Unlike more familiar micro-scooter designs, the sbyke has a fixed-position front wheel and is turned by shifting weight at the rear, it can stand upright on its own, and can take more weight – making it a more attractive proposition for adults as well as youngsters. Read More




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