Akai Professional has launched a solo version of its electronic wind instrument that contains its own built-in speaker for play anywhere and anywhen convenience. EWI Solo represents the true evolution of our EWI line, fusing the response players demand with complete versatility for any performance or practice setting,” said Akai’s Dan Gill. “For the seasoned instrumentalist, EWI Solo lets you […]
Akai Professional Wind Instrument
Retro Bluetooth Speaker
We’ve recently seen several different examples of high-tech portable cassette players, but is audio tape really making a comeback? Perhaps not, which is where Pl8ty comes in – it uses your smartphone as the cassette. Invented by Swiss musicians Jonathan Fiorentini and Ernesto Londino, Pl8ty is a Bluetooth speaker that looks like an old-school Sony Walkman. To use it, you […]
Unused Rooftop Space Transformed Into Stunning Sustainable Farm
The Thammasat University Rooftop Farm (or TURF), by Landprocess, puts an abandoned rooftop area belonging to Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus to fine use as an organic farm. The project incorporates solar power and rainwater collection, and is used to teach sustainable farming techniques. TURF measures roughly 236,800 sq ft (22,000 sq m) and, according to Landprocess, is the largest organic […]
Tethered Drone Gets Licensed
Drones may be seeing increased use by police forces, but the things are still limited by relatively short flight times, and the need for certified operators. Public safety tech company Axon has set out to address the problem, by leveraging the existing Fotokite tethered drone. Designed by Russian roboticist Sergei Lupashin, it’s essentially an electric quadcopter on a long, reeled […]
Transformable Bike Rack
Rear racks are certainly handy for carrying cargo on your bike, but they’re not always long enough, wide enough, or just handy enough. The PedalPorteur was created to address those shortcomings, with a transformable design. Los Angeles-based engineer Gordon MacMorran first created the PedalPorteur for use by his kids, but has now turned to Kickstarter to fund large-scale production. At […]
Australia’s Bubble House
A truly unique piece of Australian real estate is up for grabs. Architect Graham Birchall’s personal home, based around a series of 11 intersecting bubble domes, has gone up for sale in Ipswich, Queensland. Birchall built the home in the 1980s as a study of the adaptable nature of spheres. The domes range in diameter from 4 to 8 meters […]
Wood-Based Biopaste
In its natural state, lignin is a tightly cross-linked organic polymer that plays an important role in giving plants and trees their rigidity. But when these resources are converted into paper, the manufacturing process leaves huge amounts of lignin on the scrapheap. Scientists in Germany have developed a technology that could give the organic polymer a new lease on life, […]
Whipr Combines 3 Types of Resistance Training
Although there already are exercise machines that simulate nordic skiing, rowing and other activities, they’re usually separate devices that are all fairly large. Whipr takes a different approach, consisting of a small base unit that works with multiple attachments. The system was invented by marine biologist/scuba diver/stand-up paddler Luke Tipple, who needed a way of exercising in hotel rooms while […]
Self-Assembling Layer Prevents Metal Batteries From Failing
Functional batteries that incorporate lithium metal into the anode could herald a huge breakthrough in energy research, with the material promising incredibly high energy density compared to the copper and graphite used today. Scientists at Pennsylvania State University are putting forward a new solution to one of the key problems plaguing the technology so far, demonstrating a self-assembling layer that […]
Spit Tests To Diagnose Heart Attack Within 10 Minutes
New preliminary research is suggesting a simple saliva test can detect the presence of a protein biomarker known to signal the occurrence of a heart attack in just 10 minutes. If this prototype test is validated in future studies it could dramatically accelerate the speed at which patients with cardiovascular problems can be diagnosed and treated. During a myocardial infarction, […]