Having a calming voice like that of John Cleese or Ozzy Osbourne shout out directions to supplement the visuals on your GPS navigation device is an effective way to make sure that you don’t miss your turn. Relying on visual navigation is a big distraction for cyclists too, dangerously diverting focus away from the road ahead. To help overcome such issues, a research team in the Netherlands has reported promising results from an audio-only navigation system that uses an … Read More → "Experimental navigation system guides cyclists using music"

I don’t know if you noticed, but a parallel Earth has merged with our own, overlapping our reality no matter where we go. I’m talking about the digital realm – the confluence of internet, data, and social networks that we spend so much time with every day. As you walk around, the digital realm comes with you and augmented reality (AR) is your portal to merging that information with the world you see. With AR you can pick up your mobile phone, turn on the camera, and look as icons and virtual objects overlap with … Read More → "Augmented reality on your mobile just got cooler"

Last year we saw an electric jet ski that seemed perfect for any wannabe James Bonds to zip around on. Now it looks like Bond’s enemies must have been watching, because this latest personal watercraft looks perfect for a Bond villain.

The Exoconcept Exo is a bit like a jet ski, but instead of sitting upright, you lie … Read More → "http://dvice.com/archives/2011/09/carbon-fiber-el.php"

Today’s xkcd.

“Many older adults lose their independence as their health declines and they are compelled to move into assisted care facilities. Researchers at the University of Missouri and TigerPlace, an independent living community, have been using motion-sensing technology to monitor changes in residents’ health for several years. Now, researchers have found that two devices commonly used for video gaming and security systems are effective in detecting the early onset of illness and fall risk in seniors.” via MU News

Read More → "MU researchers use new video gaming technology to detect illness, prevent falls in older adults"

Interested in the Star Trek marshmellow dispenser? How about a nice Freezicle?

Scott Tipton, author of Star Trek Vault: 40 Years From the Archives ($40), cites the kitschy kitchen gadget as “one of the most insane bits of promotional merchandise ever offered from any film or television series.”

Amid the inevitable action figures and comic books, the marshmallow … Read More → "6 Weird Places Star Trek Merch Has Boldly Gone"

Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have isolated and explained the phenomenon that causes microbes to generate electricity while cleaning up nuclear waste. The team is hoping to use their findings to create a microbial fuel cell that is capable of generating renewable energy while it cleans up environments exposed to nuclear waste. The bacteria the team studied is a kind of geobacter that is covered in a coat of tiny, natural nanowires that … Read More → "Scientists Developing Fuel Cell that Generates Power While Cleaning Nuclear Waste"

However hard you work on the next great tech innovation in your underground volcano lair, there’s still going to be a point at which you need to test it out in the “real world.” But rather than risk your latest discovery running amok and killing a bunch of people, there will soon be a fully operational but totally empty city in New Mexico for you to experiment with.

Read on…

Discovered via Read More → "Tech company building people-free city to experiment on"

The BBC news reported that a group of scientists and engineers are working to reestablish contact with the Prospero spcaecraft, the first (and only) UK satellite to be launched on a UK vehicle. Launched atop a Black Arrow rocket on 28 October 1971, it carried a series of experiments to investigate the effects of the space environment and was contacted annually until 1996 when the project was discontinued.

In order to recover the … Read More → "Plan to revive 1970s UK satellite still orbiting after 40 years"

Taken from Mindhacker: 60 Tips, Tricks, and Games to Take Your Mind to the Next Level, a new book (released today), by Ron Hale-Evans and Marty Hale-Evans, discovered voa Boing Boing:

Hack 36: Role the Mental Dice
Quick! You need a way to generate random numbers using just your brain, because you’re playing in the pool, driving, falling asleep, or doing something else that makes it difficult to roll physical dice. Maybe you’re playing games ( … Read More → "How to roll an imaginary 6-sided die in your head"