Vibrating bracelet for the deaf

I think this is one of the most interesting and wonderful designs I have come across. Invented for the deaf to move around much more easily, this could save their lives. And I'm not talking about hearing aid.

The bracelet is created by three designers, Kwang-seok Jeong, Min-hee Kim and Hyun-jonng Kim. The "Vibering" consist of two rings and a wristwatch. The two rings are worn on both hands. They are designed to act as the ears, by listening for sounds coming from behind, while at the same time determining the distance and position, and vibrate according to the source.

While the wristwatch collect and identifies the sound wave and presents the info to the user, the watch surprisingly is also programmed to listen for specific phrases such as "excuse me", when the user's name is being called, and most importantly, a car's horn. It certainly helps the deaf to move around more easily and normally.

By the way, the bracelets look stylish, too. Nobody would think it was a device for the deaf. However, the release date and price are yet to be known.

On the other hand, what would happen if they stepped into a crowded place?

Originally posted at TrendHunter

US$30,000 three-wheel car faster than a US$120,000 Porsche

Who doesn't dream of buying a car which can zip through the city and become the envy of people? Who doesn't dream of buying a car which can go faster than a Porsche?

Although ZAP's (Zero Air Pollution) new invention, Alias, has only three wheels, it can go from 0 to 60mph in 5.7 seconds, with 322 horsepower and a top speed of 156mph. Nice? Though I won't want to attract the attention of the traffic cops while speeding through the city.

The good news is that Alias's two engines can even outrun a US$120,000 Porsche 911 Carrera or any other Porsche. And it is priced at HALF that of the Carrera at US$30,000 -- maybe because it's one wheel less? It's set to be released next year.
Read more »

Squash rackets that talk

You probably hate your squash coach for his constant scolding and vigorous training, not to mention the expansive fees you have to pay every month. Well, you can avoid all these with the new talking squash racket called Mana.

Designer Sophie Horton's Mana squash training aid aims to prepare the player against muscle imbalance and shoulder injuries by developing muscle strength in the player's arms. Its mechanism is inspired by the "ghosting" drills which give the player vocal instruction during practice.

The Mana clips onto the racket, with weights that can be adjusted according to the desired level of play, and gives vocal instruction during practice.

Unfortunately, the release date and pricing are yet to be known. Let's hope it will be out sooner than later.

Originally posted at TrendHunter | Picture credit: Sophie Horton

Floating solar farm juices up winery

Napa Valley winery Far Niente has commissioned what it says is the first floating solar farm.

Called a "floatovoltaic" solar array, it is a collection of almost 1,000 solar panels hitched to pontoons that float in the vineyard's irrigation pond.

In tandem with another 1,300 panels next to the pond, the entire array will generate about 4.000 kilowatts of energy at peak time, covering the winery's annual electricity use.

The panels in Far Niente's solar array, made by Sharp Solar Systems, were installed by SPG Solar.

Via Crave CNET

New image hyperlinking patent comes under fire in online forums

If Vuestar Technologies Pte Ltd, a Singapore-incorporated company, has its way, the World Wide Web could be facing its biggest hurdle to date.

According to an alert from Singapore technology law firm Keystone Law Corporation, Vuestar has been granted a patent that requires Web sites to have a license when they use images to link to another site or Web page.

This patent, which apparently extends beyond the shores of Singapore to include Australia, New Zealand and the US, has caused an uproar in online forums. One member of HardwareZone has even posted images of the invoice which was sent out by the company asking the site affected to pay up the licensing fees.

Vuestar's patent publication number is 95940. For more details, click here for the full report on ZDNet Asia.

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