At the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) researchers are working on integrating therapeutic drugs into textiles that can release them into the skin as needed. The researchers envision pain medication to be administered as soon as the body severely during a sports injury, or an antibiotic can be released as soon as a wound forms on the […]
Smart Textiles To Help Deliver Drugs
Ocean Cleanup Heads To Great Pacific Garbage Patch Finally
The Ocean Cleanup is finally ready to set sail on its maiden voyage. After several weeks of testing, the 2,000-foot-long system is heading to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where it will begin hacking away at the massive floating trash heap. The Ocean Cleanup officially launched System 001 on Saturday, September 8 in a much-hyped ceremony at the San Francisco […]
Transforming Sewage Pipes Into Stools
California-based designer Phan Thao Dang has created a series of corrugated furnitureobjects from pipes conventionally used to carry waste sewage. The Pipe Collection, which has been shortlisted for a Dezeen Award in furniture design, features a bench and a stool – both constructed from individual sewage pipes. It has a minimalist design, composed of pipes welded together to form hemispherical ridges. […]
Battery That Eats Up Carbon Dioxide?
Researchers at MIT may have found an innovative way to reduce greenhouse gases from getting into the atmosphere. A new type of battery they’re working on could be made partly from carbon dioxide captured from power plants. Rather than attempting to convert carbon dioxide to specialized chemicals using metal catalysts, which is currently a very difficult process, this battery could […]
Google Assistant Helps You Kickstart The Day With A Visual Snapshot
When Google launched the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL on October 9, it announced a number of new features coming to Assistant — but only on Pixel phones. Now, however, it’s revealing a few new features coming to Google Assistant as a whole, meaning all Assistant-enabled phones will get them. Perhaps the most interesting new feature is the […]
Kindle Is Waterpoof Now
We live in a world of iPads and Galaxy tablets, but that doesn’t mean that the good old ebook reader doesn’t have a place. In fact, Amazon, known for its Kindle lineup of ebook readers, announced a new addition — a reimagined version of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. The new device offers many of the best features of the more […]
Napup Comfortably On The Planes Now
Ever drift off on a long flight, only to realize once you fell asleep, your head lolled to one side until it was resting on the shoulder of the stranger next to you? An odd Kickstarter gadget is vying to help travelers sleep comfortably on airplanes without snuggling with a stranger. The Napup Fly+ is a mix between a personal travel pillow, […]
Convertible Frame Turns Into Cot
If you’re backcountry camping, it’s pretty much a forgone conclusion that you’ll be sleeping on either a thin foam pad or an inflatable mattress. The LayBakPak offers an alternative, however, as it’s a backpack that partially converts into a cot or recliner. Invented by British outdoorsman Jonathan Davies, the LayBakPak is used just like any other rigid-frame backpack when you’re […]
Your Pet’s New Toy
It’s no secret that cats and dogs can get bored when they’re left home alone all day, which is why we’ve seen things such as pet-entertaining robots. Felik doesn’t go quite that far, but instead uses artificial intelligence to let your critter “hunt” a moving laser beam. Designed by Seattle-based startup Angry Lychee, the Wi-Fi-connected Felik is intended to be […]
New Smart Padlock For Airbnb Owners
Where most smart padlocks steer clear of numbered combination codes, the new Igloohome Smart Padlock puts its number keypad at the forefront. Though it shares many features with other Bluetooth padlocks like the Noke, Quicklock and Master Lock, Igloohome’s alternative is designed with sharing in mind, and includes some smart features for Airbnb owners in particular. Igloohome allows its owner […]