 Welcome to the newsletter for gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for February the 8th, 2010.  Historical WWII imagery now available in Google EarthWhen reconnaissance pilots brought back precious surveillance photos during World War II (WWII) they could not have imagined that they would one day be comparable with the cityscape seen from satellite 50 years into the future, and available around the world at the touch of a button. Google has made this possible with new functionality for Google Earth - historical WWII imagery - giving people a unique opportunity to see the effect of past events using today's mapping technology. Read More     Robotic Audi TTS to tackle Pikes Peak at race speed - without a driverThe team at the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS) are aiming to send a specially-equipped robotic Audi at break-neck speed up the tight bends that lead to Pikes Peak without a driver … something that hasn’t been done before. Read More  Dream boat: Schopfer Yachts 300ft InfinitasSchöpfer Yachts has launched its second stunning design – the Infinitas – and while at this stage it only appears on paper, we would really love to see this one on the water. Aside from the glass floored "sky-bridge", on-board elevator and front helipad, the standout design element is the carved out stern and mid section, which gives the 300ft (91.5m) yacht its radical dinosaur-skull-like profile. Read More  Leev's Mantys electric vehicle makes any round of golf fun To some, golf is a good walk ruined. But why walk when you can ride … get on board the latest mobility offering from Leev – the Mantys. It’s a bit like a four-wheel version of a Segway that holds your golf clubs up front and can go for 36 holes before it needs recharging. Weighing just 88lbs, it folds down to fit in your trunk next to your golf bag. It steers by transferring your weight either left or right, has a top speed of 11mph and can climb most inclines found on a golf course. Read More  Future cars: Auto bodywork composite doubles as a batteryThe problem is clear. Hybrid cars and EVs rely on batteries for power, but batteries are bulky and heavy, causing the car to use up more energy. But what if a car's bodywork was made of a strong, lightweight material that could store and discharge electrical energy just as a conventional battery does? In pursuing this goal, researchers at the Imperial College London are developing a key building block for the hybrid car of the future, and the implications go way beyond automobiles - think wafer thin mobile phones and laptops that don't need a separate battery because they draw power from their casing. Read More  Mason bees fly to the rescue of failing orchardsMany readers would already be familiar with Colony Collapse Disorder and the mysterious worldwide disappearance of honeybees. Everything from mites to viruses to electromagnetic radiation are suspected as its cause and it is potentially disastrous for crops that rely on the bees for pollination. Well, on a small scale at least, help is on the way - some fruit growers in North America are now turning to the indigenous mason bee as an orchard-pollinator. Not only are mason bees not affected by CCD, but they're better at pollinating than honeybees, you need less of them, and they have a more laidback personality, meaning less of those nasty stings. Read More  WowWee Paper Jamz - easy play guitars and drums for budding rockstarsMost times when budding rockstars pick up a guitar and start to play for the first time, it sounds like they’re stepping on a cat – well, to everyone else in the room, anyway. If you are the parent of one of these musicians you might want to introduce them to Paper Jamz, an affordable and innovative play instrument that provides an instant rock star experience and open-ended play, say its makers, WowWee Toys. The one-inch thick stringless guitars (slightly thicker drums) are touch-sensitive, which means you only have to the strum or tap the special circuit-embedded paper on the surface to get a professional sound. Rock on! Read More  iSOCO electronic invoicing exchange could save 30 percent of processing costs It's a universal problem - one you may be surprised to hear we still face in today's technological age: you send me an invoice with your software, my software can't read it so I waste time and money interpreting it. iSOCO promises to change all that with its new prototype i20nt. This system aspires to become the first to exchange electronic invoices between companies transparently and regardless of their originating format and system, saving up to 30% of the total invoice processing costs. Read More  Wattbox: Habit-learning device to lower energy billsThe adage “less is more” rings true when discussing energy usage - as energy costs rise, using less saves you more money each year. And studies have shown that householders who know how much energy they use on a daily basis tend to use significantly less. A new device called the Wattbox - a smart control unit for central heating and hot water heaters that learns householders' energy habits and provide immediate feedback on consumption - could deliver home energy savings of up to 20 percent without compromising comfort say UK researchers. A great feature of the Wattbox is that it is retrofittable, meaning it’s suitable for all houses, not just new ones. Read More  Tech firm InteraXon to transmit brain waves across CanadaIf you’re attending the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia this month, you’ll have the chance to transmit your brain waves across Canada. When they reach their destination, the province of Ontario, they'll produce a custom light show on one of three prominent Ontario landmarks - presumably to the amazement of thousands of onlookers. While this might sound like technology straight out of an X-Men movie, it is in fact the latest accomplishment of Toronto-based tech firm InteraXon... and it could be just the tip of the iceberg in the field of thought-controlled computing. Read More  Robonaut 2 ready to give astronauts a helping handNASA and General Motors have teamed up to build a new robot dexterous enough to use the same tools as humans, allowing them to work safely alongside humans on Earth or in space. The two organizations aim to develop the next generation of robots and robotic technologies that use leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, to assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants. Read More 
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