 Welcome to the newsletter for gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for January the 27th, 2010.  The ten worst passwords on the web, and why you really should read this articleYou’re not fooling anyone with that “123456” password of yours. “Password” isn’t much better, and sorry ladies, but “princess” is also no good. These are among the findings in a report released by Imperva, a data security firm that analyzed 32 million passwords recently exposed in the Rockyou.com breach. Not only did they identify the most common, and thus easily-guessable passwords, but they also suggested some effective methods for creating secure ones. Read More  Formula-looking EV Mini Sport fits motorized bicycle categoryTo many motoring enthusiasts, Japan’s Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima is to hill climbing what Michael Schumacher is to F1 or Valentino Rossi is MotoGP. It’s no wonder then that when Tajima launches an electric car the motoring world gets a little excited. Released recently at the first EV and HEV Drive System Technology Expo in Tokyo, the Tajima Motor Corporation’s (in conjunction with Natural Energy) EV Mini Sport is an open wheeler, single-seater car that looks very comfortable on the track. Read More  Air New Zealand upgrades and innovates in cattle classTrying to sleep in an upright position on long haul flights can prove to be a difficult proposition for most of us, and a sleepless flight only compounds the jet lag that results from traversing time zones. With just about any International flight to or from New Zealand being a long haul affair it’s not surprising that the country’s international airline, Air New Zealand, is looking to make such trips a little more comfortable for passengers through a redesign of seating in economy class. The result is the holy grail of economy travel – a flat surface for adults to lie down and sleep! Read More  LG shows off 19-inch flexible e-paper displayHot on the heels of the 11.5-inch flexible-screened Skiff e-reader is news of Korean tech giant LG's floppy-screened e-paper. The prototype device measures in at a whopping 19 inches (the same as an A3-format newspaper), making it the world’s largest. Read More  Healing of ozone hole could accelerate global warmingYou'd think the healing of the hole in the ozone layer would be good news, but it seems that although every cloud is said to have a silver lining, they also have a gray one as well. The Antarctic ozone hole was once regarded as one of the biggest environmental threats, but researchers now argue that the ozone hole over Antarctica helped to shield this region from carbon-induced warming over the past two decades and its repair could actually increase warming in the southern hemisphere. Read More  AeroVironment eyes new EV Fast-charging Benchmark: 80% in 15 minutesOne of the key stumbling blocks in the uptake of battery electric vehicles is charging times. After all, who wants to wait eight hours to "fill the tank" when a gasoline, hybrid or hydrogen powered vehicle can be replenished in a matter of minutes. One of the projects seeking to address the issue is a collaboration between electric vehicle manufacturer THINK and charging infrastructure developer AeroVironment (a company best known to Gizmag readers as a manufacturer of UAVs). The companies are collaborating on a fast charging project for the THINK City electric vehicle with the goal of taking the EV from zero charge to 80 percent full in just 15 minutes. Read More  HoverCam: the scanner that works like a cameraThe USB-powered HoverCam all-in-one scanner is designed to put the flatbed scanner to sleep – permanently. It takes a snapshot of the document placed beneath its lens in a split second, much like a camera, as opposed to the more drawn-out method of traditional scanners – and takes up much less desktop space than a flatbed. The manufacturer, California-based Pathway Innovations and Technologies, says the HoverCam’s capabilities make scanning, faxing, emailing, archiving and organizing files a quicker, neater and more enjoyable experience. Read More  NEPTUNE Canada - world's largest cabled seafloor observatory goes liveDeep-sea research is great and everything, but man, those submersibles can get pretty cramped. The other, bigger problem is that it requires going off and traveling on a ship, which is costly and can therefore only be done a few times a year. Fortunately, however, there’s now a way of obtaining real-time undersea data without leaving your office. NEPTUNE Canada, the world’s largest and most advanced cabled seafloor observatory, officially started going live to the Internet last December, giving anyone with an Internet connection free access to what will become an absolute mountain of data from the bottom of the sea. Read More  i-mate 810F - the 'Chuck Norris' of handsetsHandset manufacturer i-mate’s 810-F is so tough the company has given it a lifetime year-on-year warranty. That’s because it has already put the 810-F through a grueling set of tests and trials, including running a car over it, immersing it in all kinds of fluids, kicking it, dropping it, baking it, freezing it and even calling it bad names – and yet the device continues to work. I-mate says the 810-F has even passed the rigors of US Military toughness specifications (standards as referenced for impact resistance, crush force, submersion, rain/mist/salt, fog, dust ingress, and vibration). Follow the link for some video evidence. Read More  HP's Touchless touchscreen wallAbout a year ago, HP began working on a ginormous touchscreen display for their PR firm’s Manhattan offices. The resulting product, called the Wall of Touch, was such a hit that it has found its way into the workplaces of other select clients, with more on the way. Ironically, despite its name, one of the things that makes the Wall unique is that users don’t have to actually touch it. Read More  Eigenharp: the 21st Century one-man-bandThe bizarre looking Eigenharp is what you get when you roll a guitar, saxophone, keyboard and a drum kit into one, and it's capable of delivering an almost limitless supply of musical sounds. The unique design of the keys, breath pipe and pedal inputs allows a musician to easily change scale or key, alter tempo, switch and layer multiple sounds and play and record loops – all during a live performance. Will this instrument revolutionize the electronic music scene? Read More  Wireless data transfer record smashedIf you’re like most people, you probably think that 200 megabits per second for wireless data transfer is just too darn slow! What are we, cavemen? Not anymore, apparently, as electronic engineering company Siemens just broke their own record by achieving 500 Mbps using white LED light. Read More  DEMO: Plastic Logic Que proReader hands-onGizmag met with PlasticLogic, the makers of the QUE ProReader eBook reader/tablet - one of the most versatile and powerful eReaders to hit the market. The Que ProReader measures the size of standard piece of office paper (8.5 x 11 inches) and focuses on the business professional. Though not designed to replace your laptop or smartphone, it is designed to make paper redundant. Already there are more than 1 million pieces of online content that can be downloaded and viewed on the device. Plus you can print from your computer to the QUE Pro to carry your personal documents with you, or use it as a back-up device. Connectivity options abound with built-in WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth. Read More  Last minute betting plunge on Apple’s tablet name: iPad shortens from 7/4 to 1/3Apple’s announcement of its tablet computer this Wednesday will without doubt be the most eagerly anticipated tech news of 2010. We were all so “over” the speculation at Gizmag.com that we’d agreed we would not run any “puff” stories guessing the outcome, functionality or whatever, because no-one really knows. Until now, that is. Odds on what the name of the device will be have been on offer at Irish bookmaker Paddy Power this week and when the Economist ran a story effectively promoting the odds to the wider community, the flow of money on the name iPad quickly became a torrent, seeing it shorten from 7/4 to 1/3 in a few hours. Accordingly, … Read More  Mercedes assembles Silver Arrows F1 dream teamThe new Silver Arrows Formula One works team was presented in Stuttgart today and though there were no surprises, the line-up was nonetheless formidable. Take a world championship winning team (Brawn F1 2009), add to it substantial long term sponsorship from Petronas, the full weight of Mercedes Benz management, finances and engineering (with the emphasis on engine - the title engine of the last two years) and then slot in the winningest F1 driver in history, and you have a pretty impressive line-up. The most ominous aspect of it all though is that the pairing of Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher is back together. It won two titles at Benetton, reestablished the Ferrari dynasty then Brawn created his own history last year. The car remains under a shroud of secrecy until its track debut next week. Read More  Peugeot’s incredibly frugal electric E-Vivacity scooterPeugeot mass produced the first electric scooter 15 years ago and it’s just about to launch another. Way back in 1996, the 40 km range of the Peugeot Scoot'Elec produced a chorus of yawns but when the new E-Vivacity hits showrooms late this year, it will be greeted by a much wiser and ecologically-aware public. Emissions aside, the biggest motivating factor behind the E-Vivacity’s likely sales success will be its remarkably low cost of use. Though its 4kW engine is the equal of a frugal 50cc scooter, its running costs will be one tenth as it recharges from a domestic powerpoint at regular tarrifs. In Paris where its 100 km range will be more than adequate, that will equate to EUR 0.4 (about US$0.56) per 100 km. So if you cover the yearly average scooter distance of 4,000 kms, total running costs will be EUR 16 (US$22.67)! Read More  Venturi Volage concept electric sportscarAt the North American International Auto Show, Gizmag’s Noel McKeegan got the lowdown on the Venturi Volage concept electric sportscar from Venturi’s Clement Dorance. Venturi is the company responsible for the world’s first production electric sportscar, the Fetish, and its latest electric sportscar is the result of collaboration between Venturi and Michelin. It is one of the first applications of the Michelin Active Wheel System that replaces a vehicle’s traditional engine with eight electric motors located within the wheels. Each wheel contains two motors - one responsible for the propulsion and the other taking care of the suspension. As Clement explains this innovative design not only gives the Volage four-wheel-drive and active suspension, but also provides a low center of gravity to further enhance the maneuverability and overall performance of the vehicle. Read More  Synaptics debuts Fuse next-generation mobile phone concept Last December, the world was introduced to the Synaptics Fuse, a new concept in mobile communications. The prototype smartphone is the result of a collaboration between Synaptics, Texas Instruments, Immersion, TheAlloy and The Astonishing Tribe (TAT). What makes this phone so special is its user/phone interface. It takes Synaptics’ pioneering touchscreen technology to a whole new level, allowing people to use the phone one-handed, and without having to even see the screen. Read More  VTOL Flying-Wing: a new take on UAV designThe age of unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs has well and truly dawned but designers aren't resting on their laurels when it comes to improving the capabilities of these multi-talented aircraft. One innovation that's come to the fore recently is the use of an enclosed four rotor platform (see our recent look at the CyberQuad) which offers a number of advantages including greater stability, agility, hovering ability and a smaller footprint. This unique new design from Britain's VTOL Technologies takes this idea a step further, adding four movable rotors to a single "flying-wing" to create an aircraft that claims to deliver a higher payload capacity for its size and up to four times the endurance of current vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV designs. Read More  Tesla to use Panasonic's Nickel-based lithium-ion batteriesElectric carmaker Tesla Motors and electronics giant Panasonic have announced that they will be collaborating on development of next-generation battery cells for electric vehicles. Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel says “Combining Tesla’s rigorous cell testing and understanding of EV requirements with Panasonic’s cutting-edge battery technology will result in custom cells optimized for use in EVs.” Panasonic’s nickel-based lithium-ion battery cells will be included in Tesla’s newest battery packs, due to their high capacity, light weight, durability and long life. According to Panasonic, they are the highest energy density battery cells currently in production. Read More  Metal Storm’s virtual minefield gets a patentMetal Storm has been granted another round of patents and one in particular has important implications for the future of minefields. The company’s weapon technology functions somewhat like an inkjet printer, using computer-controlled electronic ignition and a system of stacked projectiles in multiple barrels. As each barrel can contain a variety of projectiles, it can fire a sensor from each of the barrels to cover an area with sensors. If any sensor is triggered, the barrel to which it belongs fires a subsequent explosive projectile to the exact same point. The system offers many advantages, including the ability to be switched off leaving no explosive ordnance remaining in the area that had been protected. With landmines being one of the most dreadful and enduring legacies of war, it’s an enormous shame that only one side will be using Metal Storm, as it represents a potential solution to the deployment of this insidious device. Read More  Valentino Rossi becomes the world's hottest property on 2 and 4 wheelsIt is interesting to note that the three biggest stories in Formula One right now concern a driver who competed in 2010 but not in 2009 (the Michael Schumacher comeback), a driver who competed in 2009 but not 2010 (Raikkonen loses his drive and goes WRC) and a driver who has never competed in F1 and quite possibly never will – Valentino Rossi. Indeed, Rossi has only ever driven an F1 car six times, but his status as one of motorcycling’s all-time greats and one of the most popular and media-savvy sportspeople of all time make the possibility an incredibly enticing prospect. For Ferrari, Rossi brings a global army of fans and the possibility of a rare Italian driver-car title combination that hasn’t happened since Alberto Ascari in 1953, despite 15 drivers titles and 16 constructors titles for the marque since then. This week Rossi tested in a Ferrari F1 car again, and was so fast that the possibility might now be approaching a probability. Read More  Photosimile: the world’s first “office photography machine”Imagine if you could take professional-looking photos and create 3D product animations as easily as using the office copier. Ortery’s Photosimile 5000 system aims to bring that capability to the office by enabling even non-photographers to create high-quality images just by pressing a few buttons. The Photosimile 5000 is a PC-controlled desktop photography studio that integrates a light box, a DSLR camera, automated camera positioning, and specialized workflow software to simplify and automate business photography. Read More  The remarkable migratory patterns of the Arctic TernIt’s official: the Arctic tern has the longest migration of any animal in the world. The Arctic Tern Migration Project recently discovered that the tern flies over 70,000 kilometers (43,496 miles) annually, from its breeding grounds in the Arctic to its winter quarters in the Antarctic. That distance is more than twice what was previously estimated. Over the lifetime of one bird, it travels approximately 2.4 million kilometers, the equivalent of three trips to the moon and back. For a bird that weighs just over 100 grams (3.5 ounces), that’s fairly impressive. Read More  Control4 launches new energy-savers, a mobile app, even an app storeAt CES 2010, home automation and entertainment company, Control4, released a new energy-saving system, an app that turns Blackberries and Droid handsets into remote control for its system, and even added an app store which it is hoping will have the same impact on home automation that iTunes had on music. Read More  GizCast 12: discussion - digital gastronomy and the Japanese robotics revolutionWe've gone to a new format for our first podcast of 2010 - Loz Blain and Mike Hanlon sit down for a broad and fun discussion on a few recent stories that we see as real potential life-changers. Starting with the Digital Gastronomy project and moving on to cover some of the fun, fascinating and scary things Mike saw at last December's robotics trade show in Tokyo, it's your chance to sit in on the kind of discussions that happen every time the Gizmag team gets together. Read More  VESA announces DisplayPort v1.2The Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) has unveiled the long awaited DisplayPort Version1.2 digital display interface that brings with it a host of enhanced features. Aside from a doubled data rate of 21.6Gbps and bi-directional USB data transfer of an impressive 720Mbps, the upgrade also offers multi – monitor support from a single plug, improved audio synchronization and support for Full HD 3D Stereoscopic displays. Read More  Urbanears presents trendy Plattan, Tanto and Medis headphonesThere’s this cliche that anything made in Scandinavia is cool, and... it’s true. Think about it; movies, cars, music, furniture, headphones - Yep, that’s right, the latest hip thing to come out of northwestern Europe is headphones. Urbanears is a Stockholm-based company that is turning music-listening into a fashion statement. According to their website, “Urbanears promotes a deeper connection to color, form and people while providing the freedom to transcend individuality and unify the sound experience.” Gosh. Read More  The age of the Misa Digital Guitar has dawnedA software engineer based in Sydney, Australia has created a digital guitar controlled by open source software which he hopes will see musicians play electronic music in a live environment. Players control the pitch, speed and volume of notes produced by the Misa Digital Guitar via a 24 'fret' neck and touchscreen interface. Read More  Personalize your showering experience – even remotely – with the Moen ioDIGITALCurrently, your iPod might have your favorite songs personalized the way you like them and your laptop might be customized with your own homepage material. But what about your shower or bath? Do they know what you like? An easy-to-use interface for your bathroom is now available from Moen that gives you the ability to set and maintain water temperature, levels and flow with electronic precision – even remotely. The ioDIGITAL is available for three Moen products: the vertical spa, shower and Roman tub. Read More  Get lost? Not likely with the Lok8u multi-m8 GPS wristwatchIt’s a big world out there and for many different people in society that means a big risk of getting lost. Following the release of its nu.m8 GPS location device for children, Lok8u has announced its adult counterpart, the multi.m8. The device, worn as a wristwatch, aims to make a range of people from lone workers to the elderly easily locatable through the combined use of GPS and cellular identification technology. Read More  Raikkonen hoping for a late Christmas presentJust two years ago, Finn Kimi Raikkonen was the reigning (2007) World Champion in the world’s most prominent television sport, and the number one driver for the world’s most famous racing marque, Ferrari. Forbes rated him the 26th highest paid celebrity in the world, the fifth highest paid sportsperson and the highest paid driver in the world with a weekly pay cheque of US$1,000,000. Late last year he lost his job in the cutthroat game of musical chairs played by the top half dozen drivers in the world and decided to sit out 2010 by driving rally cars. This weekend he starts his new job in a town made famous by none other than Father Christmas – could there be a belated Christmas Gift in the offing? Read More  WiNRADiO PFSL-G3 field strength logger now with TETRA protocolWhether you’re tracking a moose, trying to locate a sinking ship, or conducting a little spying, you’re going to be using a field strength logger. One of the slickest units currently available is the WiNRADiO PFSL-G3 Portable Field Strength Logging and Surveillance System. Whereas such systems used to consist of several pieces of equipment, the PFSL-G3 is all contained in one portable, compact, rugged unit. It also now comes with an optional TETRA control protocol decoder, allowing users to prioritize signal traffic by importance. Read More  Intelius Date Check - only minutes to find out if your date is hiding somethingInformation-gathering company, Intelius, has released an app called Date Check that in minutes scans billions of publicly available documents stored on numerous databases and hidden in countless files to ascertain if the guy (or girl) you just met is worthy of a second date. Does he/she have a criminal record, hold the job they say, live with mum and dad or a spouse and kids or earn enough to keep you happy? The company says it’s like having a private investigator in your phone but we’re guessing privacy advocates have other ideas. Read More  Your very own self-sustained micro-ecosystemHave you ever wanted to create your own little planet? Do you like aquatic life, but think that aquariums are too much work? If your answer to either of those two questions is Yes, then you might quite enjoy owning a miniature closed aquatic ecosystem. All you need is a credit card, or a clear glass jar, some stuff from a pond, and an appreciation for things that exist on a small scale. The result will be a self-sustained miniature world that doesn’t need feeding, filtration, or anything other than light, from the outside world. Read More  Envelop desk: ergonomics meets comfort to get the job doneStudy the picture above – is that how you look at work or are you more like the typical computer slave – hunched forward, limbs at the wrong angles, wrists askew – just a repetitive strain injury waiting to happen? If you suddenly straightened up when you read this and felt the tension in your shoulders, neck, arms and back, is it time to invest in some ergonomic furniture to make your working or gaming life more pleasant and productive and also help justify the money you spent on your computing power? The Envelop is a design inspired by a pioneer in ergonomics, Herman Miller, and has been developed to enhance the human relationship between seated postures and computer-based technology. Read More  Could text messaging be beneficial for children’s spelling and reading?Results of a new British study may have children and teens LOL – laughing out loud or ROTFL – rolling on the floor laughing. Contrary to what their parents and teachers might have suggested, new research shows that text messaging actually improves children’s literacy skills. Read More  Free turn-by-turn navigation coming to all Nokia smartphonesNokia has announced the upcoming release of a new, free version of Ovi Maps for all its smartphones, which includes turn-by-turn voice navigation for 74 countries in 46 languages, real-time traffic updates for 10 countries, and maps for over 180 countries. Read More  HULC robotic exoskeleton to get fuel-cell Power Supply HULC, the Lockheed Martin (LM) powered robotic exoskeleton is being extended in its range to support 72+ hour extended missions. LM is working with Protonex Technology Corporation to evaluate and develop fuel cell-based power solutions that can be carried by the HULC, while at the same time powering the exoskeleton and the soldier’s mission equipment during extended dismounted operations. Read More  Attitudes-to-Enterprise test identifies likely entrepreneursA test that could help identify the next generation of entrepreneurs has been devised by an academic at Kingston University in South West London. As well as spotting students who are more likely to start their own business, the Attitudes to Enterprise test also aims to find out which young people show a flair for self-employed enterprise or through running their own community project. Researcher Rosemary Athayde of Kingston’s Small Business Research Centre developed the test to find budding business leaders among school pupils aged 15-18 and to evaluate whether schemes for young entrepreneurs had any impact on pupils’ ambitions. She has also adapted the test to suit undergraduates. Read More  Virtual currency ruling promises virtual marketsThe South Korean Supreme Court has ruled that the virtual “cyber money” used in online games can legally be exchanged for actual cash here in the real world. The ruling means that players of online games can sell their in-game currency to other players for real-world money. It also means that the South Korean government is going to tax the proceeds of those sales. Read More 
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