Gizmag News - Armatrix SmartGun safety system uses wristwatch to authenticate weapons

Welcome to the newsletter for gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for February the 2nd, 2010. Armatrix SmartGun safety system uses wristwatch to authenticate weapons Stopping weapons from falling into the wrong hands is a major problem for law enforcement agencies all over the world. But if keeping weapons out of the clutches of the criminal element proves too difficult, the next best thing is ensuring that such weapons can’t be used if they do. That’s just what the Armatix SmartGun concept does by disabling the pistol unless it's in the hands of someone wearing a custom wristwatch that sends a signal to arm the gun. Read More Honda's next gen solar-powered hydrogen fuel cell station for home use Honda has begun work on a smaller solar hydrogen station prototype intended for use as a home refueling appliance. Capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles it is designed to be a single, integrated unit that will fit in the user's garage. Honda's next generation Solar Hydrogen Station, though not as big as the previous systems, will still produce enough hydrogen (0.5kg) via an eight-hour overnight fill for daily commuting (10,000 miles per year) for a fuel cell electric vehicle. Read More Microsoft’s SideWinder X4 Keyboard ain’t afraid of no ghosting While it might not be ideal for fighting apparitions of the dearly departed, Microsoft claims its latest keyboard boasts the most advanced anti-ghosting technology ever to grace a keyboard. The ghosting being referred to is when multiple keys are pressed on a keyboard simultaneously result in the incorrect key signal being sent to the PC, or some of the key presses being ignored altogether. To combat this Microsoft’s SideWinder X4 Keyboard can detect up to 26 key presses at once, which is sure to appeal to hard-core gamers and 26 fingered typists alike. Read More Scala rider G4 headset lets bikers be heard Making oneself heard over the roar of a motorcycle engine can be difficult at the best of times. But being heard over the roar of a motorcycle engine when tearing down the highway with your head encased in a helmet is downright impossible. Naturally technology has come to the rescue in the form of Bluetooth enabled helmets and helmet-to-helmet communication systems. The latest solution to keep chatty bikers happy is the scala rider G4 bike-to-bike Bluetooth headset that offers group intercom between up to three riders at distances of up to one mile (1.6km). Read More Unique three-layered snail shell could lead to tougher body armor They say life imitates art, but any scientist knows that the best designs imitate life. Researchers from the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) are drawing new biomimicry inspiration for body armor design from a hardy ocean snail that boasts a shell structure unlike anything else seen in nature... or in material research labs. Read More Hitachi to build tower to demonstrate fastest-ever elevator - 40.26mph If you’re claustrophobic you probably want to spend as little time as possible in an elevator. Therefore, sufferers will no doubt rejoice at the news that Hitachi is undertaking to create the largest high-speed, high-capacity people-movers by completing the world’s tallest elevator research tower (213m). Named the "G1Tower", it will reside at the company’s elevator R&D and manufacturing base in Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and is due for completion in April this year. Prior to this, the company used a 90m tower built in 1967 for its research. Hitachi says it will use the new tower to conduct verification tests on the world's fastest elevator, which has an ear-popping rated speed of 1,080m/min (40.26mph). Read More The self-folding Origami stroller: a cool name for a compact kid carrier When did baby strollers get so high-tech? The Origami stroller power-folds itself open and shut at the touch of a button and has a built-in generator that charges the battery with every step you take. You can even choose to add options like powered speakers for your MP3 player, daytime running lights, or an adapter to charge your mobile phone. You want more features? Well read on… Read More Earthquake tactlile transducers give gamers and movie buffs good vibrations For home theater enthusiasts or gamers who enjoy the deep thud of a good subwoofer but want a little more “jolt” without the extra noise, Earthquake Sound Corp. has added to its range of tactile transducers with the Q10B and MQB-1 that, when fitted to a theater chair or platform, can virtually loosen your fillings. Along with visualizing and hearing, low frequency sound adds a third sense which brings people further into the realm of virtual reality of movies and games. Read More Calera and Novacem use concrete to capture CO2 Concrete seems pretty inoffensive. It just looks like mud, and appears to do nothing except sit there and harden. The fact is, though, concrete is the world's third-largest source of man-made carbon dioxide. Its production process accounts for at least 5% of the CO2 our species pumps into the atmosphere annually. Apparently, however, it doesn't have to be that way. Two companies are now using different technologies that not only make concrete carbon-neutral, they actually make it carbon-negative. Read More Wacom’s Intuos4 Wireless cuts the USB cable Wacom has set professional digital doodlers free with its updated Intuos4 professional pen tablet now featuring Bluetooth wireless technology. Wacom says removing the USB cable shackles makes the Intuos4 Wireless an ideal choice for collaborative work sessions, client presentations or use in a seminar setting such as an art class or photography seminar. Read More Windows Mobile 6.5 reviews are in: better, but not good Recent mobile coverage at Gizmag HTC Dragon to put Android on the Snapdragon chipset? HP Mini 311 gets benchmarked App Store hits two billion downloads AT&T launches MMS support for the iPhone 3G and 3GS The Vertu Constellation Ayxta: yours for just 4,900 Euros BlackBerry Desktop Software for OS X coming very soon NTT's TOUCH WOOD concept phones Intel's Core i7 Mobile processors bring desktop performance to the road If you would like to refer this newsletter to a friend or colleague, please point them at our free subscription page. Please don't try to forward this email, as the formatting is unlikely to remain intact. And don't worry, we don't share email addresses. Please read our privacy policy if you are concerned. Watch for more of the best new innovations, ideas and practical technologies in your inbox. You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at http://www.gizmag.com. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here to unsubscribe. COPYRIGHT GIZMAG (C) 2010