Latest Inventions

posted by admin on May 31

Well, don’t get your hopes up for a life-size human whizzing around the lounge for this one!

These new little home-helps are highly intelligent beings - well, in terms of being able to react to their environment and working around obstacles. So instead of you running your vacuum around table legs and under the sofa - these little critters do it for you.

Sound’s like a great invention for all of us who hate the job, but wait a minute - these things aren’t cheap (at around £400 each) and that might not be such a great investment if you live in a small flat either!

So, What Are They?
Well, these vacuums are around about the same size as a flattened ten-pin bowling ball and can have an array of exciting features crammed inside.

A million times better than the old-fashioned and bulky looking ‘dust busters’ from the 90’s, these new gadgets will be a welcome addition to the house.

Now, you may think that these little critters could cause havoc around the home, bump into everything, trip you over, trail leads around the room and even fall down the stairs!  But no such things will happen - they are too clever!

They are packed full of wireless technology and sensors to make their job 100% simple and cable-free - like the fact that they can be ‘fenced in’ by infrared beams to make sure that they don’t leave a certain room or cross onto unsuitable surfaces.  This way you can keep them vacuuming up dust in the places that need it the most rather than run off all over the place - wasting time and energy!

Set low to the ground and having no trailing cables, these vacuum bots can whizz around under sofas and beds, beneath the kitchen table and chairs and even the coffee table and footstools without getting caught up or stuck.

They even remember where they have been, so can ’size-up’ the room from memory technology to make sure that they cover the whole room before moving on to the next room - I mean what’s the use of a vacuum that only does half the room?  And, that means it can do the room - or whole floor - while you aren’t even home!

What To Look Out For:
Obviously, just like any normal vacuum, you will still need to look out for the actual benefits before investing - unless you want it just for show of course!

How much dust does it pick up - as it won’t be able to get into all the nooks and crannies along the way.  And, of course, it will never be able to clean the stairs, furniture or kitchen spills.  So, you would still need to keep hold of your old vacuum anyway!

Noise, size and time taken to get the place clean are all important factors too - but I’m sure things will improve over time with user comments and future technology.

And, there are some that have both automatic and manual modes, where you can control the beast - maybe even voice-activated (!)  You can set the start time for the day - or for the whole week if you want to!

Conclusion:
It all depends on the layout of your home and the size of it really.  Some are not so good at avoiding obstacles, so you could set it to work for 30 minutes - but 4 minutes in it gets caught by a kids toy or the dogs bed!

Appearance is also a factor, and some are much more shiny and modern whereas others are more practical and look a bit like squashed portable stereos from the ’80’s. 

But, whatever your thoughts on these new gadgets - you really need to see one for yourself before you take the plunge.  But don’t throw out the old one quite yet!

posted by admin on May 21

There are always situations where time rules your life - so here are 5 ways to keep on top of it!

Whether it’s self control when working from home, getting your kids in order or to stop your busy schedule affecting others - these are the gadgets for you!

Lets start with time in the morning and work through your day with you…..

1) Alarm Call For Just You:
Why wake up the entire house when you need to get an early start for that all important meeting?  Whether it’s an annoying bleeping, or soft music - your partner or young baby do not need to hear your alarm at 05.30am.  So keep it to yourself!

That’s where the Shake-N-Wake would be perfect!  It does exactly what it sounds like - it’s a vibrating alarm that makes no sound at all - it just shakes about a bit until it wakes you up and you turn it off like a normal alarm.

You can either strap it to your wrist for maximum effect, or set it under your pillow (as long as you don’t usually rollover onto the other side during the night!

2) Clocking In First Thing:
Whether you get paid by the hour, or whether you are a boss running a tight ship - you need a clocking in system that works.  But the old ‘punch cards’ style can be tricked by friends using each others cards through the day to make it look like they were ‘on time’ or didn’t leave early all the time.

Well, the Ethernet Time Clock is almost 100% fail-proof.  It uses biometrics to check individual finger prints for the time stamp - eliminating wasted money and time in the workplace.

3) Wasting Time In Meetings:
Now you can prove to your boss that their weekly meetings really are costing them too much money by using a new gadget called TIM.  Basically - with a bit of programming - can work out how much your time is worth - and then he will clock up how much money you waste in generic meetings week after week.

Time is money these days, so this can also be used to calculate how much time/money you are worth when you are surfing the net for business research, or when running your own business - you can find out how much it actually costs you in time to drive to meetings or clients houses!

4) Better Planning Can Save Time:
We all know that sitting in traffic is a waste of your time and therefore your money - so why not plan ahead to avoid busy routes, avoid roadworks and everything else in life that wastes your time.

Plan better with a (not in existence at the moment) Apple iWatch!  There have been a few articles recently on the internet that refer to an idea of having a fantastic typically ‘Apple-looking’ giant wrist watch!  Obviously it would like up wireless to all your other gadgets - and you could even talk into it like a spy!

Some of the articles say that there might even be the chance that it can play movies - just like IN the movies!  Cool!!!!

5) And Even For The Kids:
Don’t save all the great gadgets for yourself!  Get you kids in the mood for some time-scheduling too.

Whether it’s learning an new language, music lessons or playing on the computer or games station - get the kids to control their own time from an early age.  By setting the timer on the Time Tracker, you can get repeated alarms, nice melodies or you can even put it on a pause.

No more ‘…. just another 10 minutes, Dad!’ You can set this in stone now - set their own clock to prove it!

Now, Come along - spit spot!

posted by admin on May 16

Spring is in full swing - and there is plenty of news in the technology world - and here are just some of the latest inventions and gadgets…….

So, lets get started with a great intro in to the world of science, with Tisha Dotson thorough listing of: 50 Excellent Science Blogs Anyone Can Appreciate. And many of these I already read myself!

And if it is engineering you are interested in, then take a serious look at Jennifer Kingsley post about the different areas of engineering that are out there - and there is quite some choice: 50 Free Open Courseware Classes About Every Type of Engineering.

And to follow, Angelita Williams has her list fo the 100 Best RSS Feeds to Follow Engineering News, and Olivia Davis lists for us the 50 Great Green Architecture & Design Blogs.

And talking of technology and engineering - take a look at the amazing Developments in E-paper Devices by Marco Gustafsson.

Glory Scott enlightens us to the Medical Industry with his short guide to the 25 Notable Start-ups Changing the Medical Information Industry and what they are offering both business and customers like yourself.  And Jennifer Kingsley stays on the medical front with her second entry this month - with her extensive article detailing 17 Ways Mobile Computing Is Changing Medicine and Healthcare. An interesting read indeed!

And finally, the apps: Engelbert Hudson gives us his 25 Essential Free iPhone Apps for e-Learners.

See you in June……

posted by admin on May 5

If you can, then you better start making plans to spend the £50,000 prize money!

Or, better still invent a plane that can fulfil the maneuverability guidelines required to win £100,000 instead - although this might take a little longer at the drawing board!

For years humans have dreamed of the idea of human powered flight - although the old ‘wings strapped to the arms’ is a definite no-no!   As you would expect though, Leonardo de Vinci had a try at designing a plane or 2 along with dozens of other not-so-successful attempts over the following centuries.

With still not a hope of staying in the air for more than a micro-second, in the mid-20th century - the Kremer Prize was put to the invention world by the Royal Aeronautical Society of Great Britain.  There main aim was to spur on the hope of man-powered flight with large amounts of cash!

First Prize:
From the creation of the awards to the first prize being collected was a very long 18 years - and there were still another 5 prizes to be won.

This first prize (£50,000) was won by a plane weighing 32kg with a 29 meter wingspan called the Gossamer Condor in 1977 - and it had had to fly a specific figure-of-eight course at a height of over 10 feet from the ground.

The second prize for distance (£100,000) was won by the same team in 1979 but with their modified plane - the Gossamer Albatross - clocking up an average speed of 18 miles per hour (29km/h).

The third prize was for speed (£20,000) was won in 1983 by a team from MIT - but this still leaves 3 prizes totalling £150,000!

Remaining Prizes:
So, do you think you could see yourself winning 1 of the remaining prizes?  Could you invent the best human-powered plane ever to take to the skies?

I mean now would be the perfect time to perfect a mode of transport that uses no fossil fuels and emits not an ounce of carbon (apart from in the poor peddler’s breath!).

Well?
The prizes you need to aim for are needless to say - not the easiest ones - as they have already been claimed, so what you are left with are the following:

A) 26 Mile Marathon Course In Under An Hour (£50,000)

B) Sporting Aircraft Challenge - stressing maneuverability (100,000)

C) Local School Challenge - for under 18’s (various prizes awarded annually)   

Still think you are up for the challenge?
It would be amazing to think of the multiple advantages to science of the creation of a way to harness human energy and turn it into a forward force.  Obviously the power need not be used for flight, but could be transferred to power just about anything.

Technological advances in these new inventions could lead virtually anywhere - and that is what these awards are trying to promote.

And - if you are not so keen on inventing planes, then take a look at the Sikorsky Prize instead - and build yourself a human powered helicopter instead!  This would win you and your team a tasty $250,000! 

Good Luck!

posted by admin on Apr 16

You will probably be reading this in the sunshine at last - and maybe a little sunburned like me!

We have plenty of articles from our readers this month regarding latest inventions, new products and technology - so lets get straight to it; the first article this April is from Suhani.

This is for all the ladies out there who want to find their best look without using bag after bag of cotton balls! Take a look at the video in this article for a great new software application: Digital Cosmetic Mirror – the future of beauty treatments. It could also be seen as a ‘green’ invention too for all the make-up it could save!

The next article is a nice short summary of some of the newest (and most lifelike) robots that have been invented recently - with a few snaps too, so join Ava Jones for her article on the 10 Real-Life Robots You Won’t Believe Exist!

Staying with technology, Steve Patterson short article brings to my attention the ‘Nook’, a Kindle-like gadget that is apparently kicking up a bit of a storm! So take a quick look at Nook Production Increased to Meet Demand for more info.

For those of you who like to stay at home and enjoy the best home theater systems, then maybe have a look at Steve Faber’s post about the New TiVO Premier XL DVR Gives Even More of Everything.

Health is the issue for Delmy Martin, who lists many gadgets that can help you to eat better, get healthy, keep fit and generally have fun doing it! So take a look at some of the links in 25 Fitness Gadgets that Can Improve Your Health, and maybe try a few yourself!

Whereas Madeleine Begun Kane is becoming distracted by the whole ‘must know’ nature of the internet at the moment - and I have included her little limerick because it sums up what the internet means to a lot of people these days! Feed Needs. Whereas Heather Sanders wants us to learn more about the newest social site, with her The Educator’s Guide to Using Google Buzz.

And finally, the obligatory ‘apps’ post - but this one from Allisin Jonanson has a twist: its not about the iPhone! Take a look at her 25 Essential Android Apps for Science Nuts.

Now, get back out there into the sunshine!