Gizmag News - New Formula 1 rules see cars changing dramatically

Welcome to the newsletter for gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for February the 1st, 2010. New Formula 1 rules see cars changing dramatically Formula One will be quite different in 2010 thanks to a number of changes to the rules. The Kinetic Energy Recovery System is gone, front tires will be narrower (from 270mm to 245mm) and most significantly, there will be no refueling during races which will mean fuel tanks will need to be roughly three times larger than 2009. The changes have bred a different size and shape of car, as was evidenced over the last two days when we saw the first of the serious contender’s cars – the 2010 McLaren MP4-25 of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari F10 of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. Demonstrating the drawing power of the Prancing Horse, Ferrari attracted an audience of three million unique visitors to its web site for the launch. The season gets underway tomorrow when … Read More Gizcast #13: discussion - Apple iPad, new-age sex toys and the virtual minefield This week, Loz Blain and Mike Hanlon agree to disagree on the upcoming iPad, we take a look at a couple of upcoming stories on next-gen sex toys, check out the Metal Storm virtual minefield and look at how Thailand is moving to prevent petrol fraud. Read More Archipod's Pod is an energy efficient, eco-friendly garden office Are you sick and tired of spending valuable time commuting to work and enduring peak-hour traffic and road rage? Well now that most people have access to mobile phones, email, video conferencing and the Internet - the dream of trading in an office job for working from home can become a reality. However, separating work from home life can sometimes be difficult. That’s where the Pod comes in – it might look like an enormous coconut has landed in your garden, but this is a unique garden office that is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, plus it gives you a designated space in which to work. Read More Necker Nymph: underwater flying becomes Virgin territory It seems that Sir Richard Branson's quest to conquer unexplored frontiers isn't limited to space tourism.The Virgin boss's latest acquisition is a DeepFlight three-person aero submarine that "flies" through the briny deep using the positive buoyancy system developed by Graham Hawkes. Christened Necker Nymph, the flying sub will find a home on Branson's 74 acre private island in the British Virgin Islands where it will launch from shore as well as operating from the luxury 105 foot catamaran Necker Belle - just add a quiet US$25,000 to the weekly hire price tag. Read More Better hearing via your teeth Just as people with sight in only one eye have problems with depth perception, those with impaired hearing in one ear, known as unilateral hearing loss (UHL) or single-sided deafness (SSD), face difficulty in localizing sound. Addressing the problem with a hearing aid worn in the mouth might not sound like a logical solution, but that’s just what medical device company Sonitus Medical is doing with SoundBite - a hearing system that transmits sound to the inner ear via the teeth. Read More Pressure sensitive technology set to bring 3D capability to touchscreens Touchscreens found in most mobile devices today use capacitance or resistance technology - fine for detecting input from a finger, but not so great when it comes to detecting how much pressure that finger is applying. However, this limitation could be about to change with news that Japanese touch screen manufacturer, Nissha, has licensed new technology that allows a touchscreen to detect pressure, even from a finger. This adds a third dimension to touchscreen interaction and opens up a raft of potential applications. Read More Computer program stops sensors and satellites from 'crying wolf' We rely so heavily on information gathered by satellites and weather instruments to help us program our daily lives, imagine what would happen if the data we received from these technologies went bad and foretold of cataclysmic outcomes in the days or weeks ahead? Panic could induce scenes on our streets reminiscent of Hollywood disaster movies. To avert such events - or just help get things right even if the forecast is more mundane - scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) have devised an innovative computational technique called Intelligent Outlier Detection Algorithm, or IODA, that draws on statistics, imaging, and other disciplines in order to detect errors in sensitive technological systems. Read More Comprehensive E-reader comparison chart If you’re looking to purchase an e-reader and just can’t fathom the minefield of differences, check out this chart that comprehensively compares Amazon’s Kindle 2 and Kindle DX, Sony’s Daily Edition, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Plastic Logic’s Que proReader, and Apple’s iPad in 20 categories including hardware spec, software and content. Read More Can Botox stunt your emotional expression? A new study from the University of Wisconsin may have profound implications for the cosmetic-surgery industry. We all intuitively know there is an interaction between facial expression, thoughts and emotions and scientists have previously found that blocking the ability to move the body causes changes in cognition and emotion. In the latest UW tests, which involved the pinpoint administration of Botox to temporarily prevent frowning, it was found that facial expression also affects the ability to understand written language related to emotions. So using Botox … Read More This car sold for US$360,000 in this condition ... and will not be restored One of the most remarkable stories of automotive history closed another fascinating chapter at the third annual Bonhams Rétromobile sale on January 23 when a rusted 1925 Bugatti Type 22 Brescia that has spent the last three quarters of a century at the bottom of a lake in North Italy was auctioned, and fetched a staggering EUR 260,500 - US$360,000. It's condition is so remarkably good, it bears testimony to the craftsmanship of the Bugatti marque, which is without peer. The good news is that the car will NOT be restored, but will appropriately be displayed in its current glory in a museum in the United States. Folks, they don't build 'em like this any more. Read More Nuvo's Ritmo is an advanced sound system for the next iPod generation The Ritmo is a unique pregnancy belt that allows you and your baby to listen to music at the same time. While experts may disagree on when a fetus first hears sounds, they tend to agree that listening to music is beneficial for both mother and child. Music is not only soothing, some experts believe that it is facilitates development of some early behaviors and could play a part in future musical ability and intellectual development. Read More The appropriately named Bright IDEA hybrid delivery van If you were a hybrid vehicle manufacturer, and you wanted to lower the world’s CO2 emissions, would you first... a) Try to replace all the privately-owned gas vehicles, that mostly just drive to and from workplaces, one vehicle at a time, or... b) Replace entire corporate fleets of gas delivery vehicles, that typically spend all day, every day, on the road? Well, you’re supposed to answer “b”. That’s what Indiana-based Bright Automotive wants to do with their plug-in hybrid delivery van, the IDEA. And now that they’re close to signing a pact with an unnamed major automaker, they’re one step closer to realizing that vision. Read More Portable magnetometer to get to the heart of the matter A portable magnetometer being developed at the University of Leeds could dramatically simplify and improve the process of diagnosing heart conditions. Its creators say its unprecedented sensitivity to magnetic fluctuations will allow the innovative cardiac scanner to detect a number of conditions, including heart problems in fetuses, earlier than currently available diagnostic techniques such as ultrasound, ECG (electrocardiogram) and existing cardiac magnetometers. It will also be smaller, simpler to operate, able to gather more information and significantly cheaper than other devices currently available. Read More Bentley US$9800 Zai Zaiira skis The result of a design collaboration between Bentley’s Styling Studio and the high-end Swiss ski manufacturer zai, only 250 numbered sets of these limited edition handmade black skis will be made. Zaiìra®, the novel composite material used in the skis, was originally created for use in the latest generation of aircraft. It contains carbon fibres that are used on the skis’ top layer, in combination with natural rubber in the central part, as well as a carbon fabric in composition with chrome steel in the torsion part and long carbon fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites (LFRTP). This combination of technology and performance give maximum performance with minimum weight as well as the ability to lie firmly and reliably in the snow, whatever its condition. Read More Build your own electric car with Trexa Trexa has revealed details of a lithium-powered, all-wheel vehicle development platform that will enable engineers and developers to create custom "vehicle apps", doing for builders of electric vehicles what the iPhone did for application developers. Modular and scalable, the standard Trexa platform will feature an aluminum, carbon steel tubing and thermoplastic shell containing open source and user programmable electronics and advanced battery technology. 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. 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