Concepts

Jul 11th 2007 11:42PM by Darren MurphFiled under: WearablesThere's no shortage of bizarre creations that prevent you from oversleeping, but a Meng Fendi concept could actually help you (and your partner) wake up on the right side of the bed for a change. The simply-titled "Ring" sports an alarm clock dock with two times and a pair of wearable hoops, which enables you to wake up at a different time than your third-shift-workin' SO.

The filing insinuates that an accelerometer could be paired up with recognition software that could theoretically differentiate between normal bumps and ill intentions, and while specific hardware wasn't exactly covered, we can certainly assume that the more portable devices would get the anti-theft treatment first. All in all, the concept here seems fairly novel, but considering that using your Nike + iPod kit would probably cause all sorts of false alarms to go off using such a deterrent, we'll probably stick with the "toss gadget at larcenists' forehead" approach to keep our handhelds secure for now.

The aptly-named nanogenerators can produce "continuous direct-current electricity by harvesting mechanical energy from such environmental sources as ultrasonic waves, mechanical vibration or blood flow," which translates into easy energy for implanted and worn medical gadgetry of the future. Interestingly, the project was funded by the likes of the National Science Foundation and our pals at DARPA, and while this invention may not quite match up with wireless charging (hey, we're scared of hospitals), the concept is novel nonetheless.

Since we know the sizes of the unit, power supply and screen, we can start doing some concept sketches with the general shapes in mind. This is always a good way to go about it because a person can spend hours screwing around in a computer program or they can hash out 80% of the details on paper in a few minutes and then just translate that into pixels later on

.. ie Electric, but if you must go straight to the source, prototypes are available for sale now.Tags: concept, die electric, DieElectric, electricity, energy, green, insulation, powerRead PermalinkEmail thisCo ..

.. o electrical energy, and split carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen." Interestingly, this concept produces more than just an alternate source of fuel, as CO2 splitting also creates a "useful indust ..

Researchers note that the only way to stay safe is to check those URLs and only visit sites that you trust (which isn't very reassuring) and "may or may not be exploitable" from Mac and PC versions of Safari -- the same vulnerability exists only they haven't written the proof-of-concept exploit to test it yet. Apple has been notified of the vulnerability and a proposed fix with full public disclosure coming at the BlackHat conference on August 2nd.

Most likely, it's just a matter of time before machine-on-machine violence becomes commonplace, and John Canning's "Concept of Operations for Armed Autonomous Systems" outlines just how lethal robots should handle themselves when faced with potentially deadly conflicts. Interestingly, the document suggests the the bots should be allowed to make their own decisions when it comes to blasting or forgiving fellow robots, but before they pull the trigger on a human, it should request guidance from a flesh 'n blood friendly.

Moreover, the highly-spec'd machines also feature night vision capabilities, touchscreen controls, swarms of video cameras, and ballistic-grade glass to boot. Unfortunately, the limited fleet of MSVs are currently being recognized as "concept vehicles" to be used for demonstration purposes alone, but we're sure there's a number of defense contractors that could piece together a slightly less vicious version for your own garage if you've got the loot to back it up.

Jan 26th 2007 2:40PM by Darren MurphFiled under: LaptopsWhile Apple still seems to be toying with the idea of getting LED-backlit LCDs into its MacBook Pro, a few clever engineers behind tightly sealed Cupertino doors have been chewing on another concept. Based on two recent patents belonging to Apple, it seems as if the company is investigating ways to get its already-thin laptop lineup even slimmer, and its going after the optical drive first and foremost.

Feb 12th 2007 9:00AM by Chris ZieglerFiled under: Cellphones, HandheldsEither we're dreaming a lovely dream, or phone manufacturers are finally starting to embrace the concept of tri-band UMTS; for the sake of speed-loving Americans everywhere, we're hoping it's the latter. The "Aries" from ASUS will come bearing all the sweet, sweet fruits of Windows Mobile 6 Standard (that's like Smartphone, for you WM5-toting gals and gents) combined with UMTS on the 850, 1900, and 2100MHz bands for global coverage.

North American release may happen, but it probably depends on the response Yamaha has had to the bigger models. I haven't had one in my home for long-term use, but I really like the concept, as I'm starting to value perfect 3D placement of sound in home theater less than ease of installation.

In fact, all past history indicates that when, and if, the present civilization comes to an end, it will die because of an unsolved food problem, and that insects will be a contributing factor, and hence may be the survivors.Actually that lede isn't all that far off from a lot of modern popular science and tech writing: Crazy concept? It may sound unlikely, but what if we all were dead?Will Monster Insects Rule the World? (Dec, 1930) [ModernMechanix.

What would a concept jet interior look like if it were designed by BMW? Like this, apparently.Autopia has more details (and another picture) of the concept project, a joint venture by BMW and Brazilian jet manufacturer Embraer

There's absolutely no reason that this concept should ever be made into a real product, but there's a poetry to the idea I find really appealing. This is the kind of stuff I'd love to see more of if the impact from the production were less of an issue.

Autopia has been given these concept photos of the production model of the "Imagine" from HumanCar, a sort of modern version of the old pump-action railroad cart* designed for use on roads, bolstered by some electric motors in case its riders didn't eat their breakfast. The Imagine uses the same basic chassis as the first "FM-4" model of the HumanCar, which is powered by the rowing of its four passengers and steered by leaning

It looks as if the "Keyport," which was shown as a concept a few months ago, will actually be making it into limited production. Your likelihood of getting one seems slim, though: you'll need to have already been on the "I'm interested" list; the process for getting your keys cut involves sending six copies to the company; the whole thing cost \$300.

Finally, a way to extract energy out of babies besides eating them!)It's all an on-paper concept right now, but I like that the idea is built around battery chargers instead of batteries. The trick would be to discover the materials and environmental cost of adding chargers to relatively simple items in the first place

The "Take Out" is a concept that replaces the drawers in a traditional chest-of-drawers with cases, the better to lug their contents around. While at first this may seem impractical for anyone other than globe-hopping super spies, the designer Klaus Aalto has pointed out how many things like tools and toys often need to be utilized one set at a time.

ike all great puzzles, the concept is simple. Take a cube and, with the use of a high tech saw, slice it into thirteen cunning 3 dimensional geometric shapes.