Fresh, local produce may be a rarity in Antarctica, but one indoor farm near a research station there just welcomed their first harvest. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) said the experimental greenhouse EDEN-ISS, at Alfred Wegener Institute‘s Neumayer-Station III, recently harvested 18 cucumbers, 70 radishes, and nearly eight pounds of lettuce. The EDEN-ISS indoor farm serves two purposes: first, to […]
Is The Antarctic Finally Suitable For Farming?
3-In-1 Water Filter
Two common ways of filtering water are portable pump filters, such the MSR Guardian, and bottles with built-in filter straws, like this one from Vapur. Korean startup Purisoo combines those two concepts into one, creating a water bottle that can draw water in from a natural source, filter it and carry it through the wild. The design keeps microscopic nasties […]
Bookshelf Wall Built To Resist Earthquake
In earthquake-prone Japan, a wall full of books might seem like a disaster waiting to happen. Rather than capitulate to Mother Nature however, the owners of this Yokohama home found a way to safely put their massive library of books on full display without fear of collapse. Shinsuke Fujii Architects designed the Bookshelf House that features angled earthquake-resistant bookshelves easily […]
Use Kelvin To Make Coffee
Harvesting and roasting beans from your own coffee trees is challenging if you don’t live in an equatorial country. Roasting raw coffee beans at home is as close as most of us will get to making the freshest possible cup of coffee. IA Collaborative‘s Kelvin Home Coffee Roaster could do the trick if roasting raw coffee beans is your goal. […]
Smart Socks Detects Diabetic Foot Injuries
Last year, health tech startup Siren told us that it was working on smart socks that could detect diabetic foot injuries. Now, the company is announcing those socks are being made available for everyone to buy. The socks have microsensors woven into the fabric which continuously monitor temperature; when they detect a rise in heat, a possible sign that inflammation […]
Glass Roof For Northern Lights
Want to see the Northern Lights without dealing with the dark and the cold? With this luxury glass cabin in Iceland, you can now do just that. The Panorama Glass Lodge lets you enjoy views of the Northern Lights and amazing sunsets from the comfort of your bed. The front of the cabin, which is encased entirely in glass, exposes […]
Now You Can Use Skyscanner For Booking Train Tickets
Skyscanner already has a place among Digital Trends’ collection of awesome travel apps thanks to its ability to surface the most affordable flights, hotels, and rental cars, as well as its ease of use. Anyone using the app in the U.K. can now tap it for train travel, too. The latest feature, currently for iPhone and iPad but coming soon […]
The First Robotic Punching Bag
When you’re boxing, your opponent doesn’t just stand there and take your punches. So, does it make sense to train with a punching bag that does? The folks at Germany’s SkyTec Interactive evidently don’t think so, which is why they created the BotBoxer. Equipped with high-speed computer vision and motion recognition systems, BotBoxer is reportedly able to spot users’ incoming […]
Natural Bandages Heals Wound Faster
A team of researchers at Harvard University have developed two novel nanofiber wound dressings which are able to rapidly accelerate the healing process, as well as improve tissue regeneration. Described in separate academic papers, the new bandages use proteins which are found naturally occurring in plants and animals to promote enhanced healing. “In these papers, two novel fibrous materials were […]
Urine Sample Analysis Using A Smartphone
In order to get bloodwork or urinalysis done, samples obtained from patients are typically sent off to a lab. Thanks to a new device that’s being developed at the University of South Florida, however, it may soon be possible to perform such analyses right in a doctor’s office. Presently, if a physician wants to test blood or urine samples for […]