While a vented bike helmet may keep your head cool on hot days, it certainly doesn’t help keep it warm on cold days. That’s why the Bridger helmet was created, as it sports interchangeable shells for different types of weather. Invented by Boston-based cyclists Ryan and Peter Eiler, the Bridger features a dual-density impact-absorbing inner lining. That lining is made […]
Adaptable Bike Helmet
AI Tech Piano Music
It’s perhaps not much of a stretch to imagine a computer program that could visually identify which pieces of music were being performed in silent piano-playing videos. A new AI system goes further, however, by digitally reproducing the sound of that piano-playing in a realistic fashion. Known as Audeo, the technology was designed by a team at the University […]
Sliding Backpack Generates Electricity
Wearing a big, heavy backpack can get pretty tiring. That’s why scientists have developed a pack that’s not only claimed to lighten the load on the wearer, but that also uses the motion ofthat load to generate electricity. Although developed by a team at China’s Tsinghua University, the experimental backpack is in fact quite similar to the HoverGlide model that […]
Next Gen Corps
Scientists at the Salk Institute’s Harnessing Plants Initiative hope to tackle the issues of climate change and food security by unraveling the genomic architecture behind various plant species, and they’ve just gleaned some valuable lessons from the fastest-growing example we know of. By studying the genetics underling the tiny aquatic plant known as duckweed, the researchers have gained a new […]
Optoma Focuses On Gaming Projectors
Taiwanese audiovisual gear marker Optoma launched a 4K DLP projector in March of last year that didn’t just throw at over 300 inches, but also boasted a 240-Hz refresh rate at Full HD for blur-free big-screen gaming. Now two more projectors aimed at living room gamers have joined the UHD50X. The only appreciable difference between the UHD38 and UHD35 models […]
Smart Solar Powered Bicycle
Germany-based design firm WertelOberfell has teamed up with material scientists, material suppliers, end-users and manufacturers to develop ESUB Tracks, a conceptual design for a smart bicycle helmet powered by flat-printed organic photovoltaics. Designed to prioritize safety, the proposed smart bicycle helmet is equipped with proximity sensors, a printed piezoelectric microphone that accepts basic voice commands for hands-free use, turn signal indicator lights and printed […]
Stylish Advene’s Handbag Reduces Plastic
Advene has just restocked its Age bag, an accessory that is transparently constructed and designed to eliminate unnecessary plastics. Advene releases one product at a time, using responsible materials to create its designs along with a commitment to reducing harmful plastic waste throughout the process. The name Advene is taken from “advenience.” This term was coined by Roland Barthes, a […]
Biden’s Bold EV Landscape Plans
“The federal government … owns an enormous fleet of vehicles, which we’re going to replace with clean electric vehicles made right here in America made by American workers,” said President Joe Biden on Monday, signaling he’s willing to use his new office to kick off a transformative overhaul of the entire US automotive industry. The US federal fleet is massive […]
VW Opens Recycling Plant For Batteries
We’ve seen a number of automakers take steps to give their electric vehicle batteries a second life in highway charging stations or storage systems for the home, but at some point these deteriorating devices do reach the end of the road. Volkswagen has just opened a recycling plant for this very scenario, where it hopes to recover the raw materials […]
Abandoned Factories To Become Tea Museums
O-office Architects has converted several buildings on a tea plantation near Guangzhou, China, into a cultural centre featuring a rooftop garden wrapped in bamboo screens. As part of the (Re)forming Duichuan Tea Yards project, local firm O-office Architectswas tasked with revitalising three disused buildings at the plantation in the Gaoming District of Guangdong Province. The site in Duichuan Village was […]