How many times have we walked along city sidewalks and seen pieces of trash floating across our feet? With no immediate incentive to dispose of it properly, many of us will let it go instead of getting our hands dirty and going off our path to throw it away. A new phone app hopes to buck that trend, and it’s […]
Cleaning Up Your Community- The New Game
Heatless Batteries
Scientists at MIT have created a new unconventional material that is highly effective at storing and releasing heat energy — and it could be used as a battery. Called AzoPMA, the new plastic-like polymer is capable of holding 100 times as much thermal energy as water. If further developed, a thermal battery which stores and releases heat could revolutionize solar energy, much […]
Send Affection To Your Love Ones From Afar
Long-distance relationships are difficult because not only is your lover completely removed from your day-to-day life, but you have absolutely zero possibility of tangible physical intimacy. This is sad. Researchers from the Imagineering Lab at City University London think they can solve this problem, however, with their new Kissenger gadget. The device mimics a real kiss using pressure sensors and actuators. […]
The Walking Assistant
Face it… you’re going to age! By then, you’ll appreciate having as many alternatives as possible to get around. Designed as an introduction to assistive mobility, the walking wheel takes inspiration from the traditional walking stick without the total reliance. It can be used as a crutch for walking or leaned on for support when standing. An integrated pressure-sensitive brake […]
Sleep With Sweet Dreams
Dubbed SmartSleep, Philips’ newest sleeping gadget is essentially a soft foam headband that you slip over your noggin before laying down to rest. It goes a little further than other sleep gadgets that simply monitor the quality of your sleep (although it does that too through a companion app), by kicking into gear once it recognizes the user has entered […]
Teaching Kids About Composting
Introducing, Fytó – a kid-friendly way to bring awareness to food waste! Tapping in to kid’s enjoyment of smartphones, this thoughtfully designed composter gives little ones a window into the growth cycle of plants while they simultaneously learn about the value of food. The upper section of the design features an opening where kids can feed their seedlings with […]
Bidding Sleep Deprivation Goodbye
This advanced, Wi-Fi-enabled pad sits under your mattress, and not only delivers personalized sleep analysis, but also offers the ability to control your smart home through IFTTT integration. Nokia’s Health Mate app is also now compatible with Alexa, which means you can ask your favorite virtual assistant to provide you with insights on your activity, sleep, and other health metrics. […]
Excercise While Pushing A Stroller
Elliptical bikes may provide a good form of low-impact exercise for people who want to get out and about, but what if you’re a new parent with a baby that you don’t want to leave at home? Well, that’s why Pier Paolo Visconti invented the Elliptical Stroller. The device consists of two main parts – a baby carriage in the front, […]
Bike Lights Powered By Physics
When it comes to lights, cyclists typically have one of two options: Either a battery-powered light which needs replacing every so often or a dynamo-powered light which uses the spinning of your bike’s wheels to generate power, but which cause friction that can slow you down. A new Kickstarter campaign seems to offer a perfect third solution, however: Smart brake lights that work […]
Virtual Cocktail?
Ever sat down to have a drink with friends and found yourself wishing the whole experience was a bit more high tech? Researchers at the National University of Singapore are here to help. Under the leadership of Nimesha Ranasinghe, they developed a programmable cocktail glass called the “Vocktail,” which is capable of tricking your senses into thinking that you’re drinking … well, just […]