Black Hornet is a video-camera equipped helicopter not more than 100mm long, weighing less than 20g, and can be carried in your pocket and launched within seconds to give immediate situational awareness…
Developed by Norway based Prox Dynamics, the spy-copter aims to become the world’s smallest and most capable Unmanned Aircraft System for close range surveillance and inspection.
And if the Black Hornet fails to live up to its expectation, the company can choose to reinvent the copter into an expensive toy instead… bet that it’s going to become a global hit.
A short video from National Geographic, about wormhole and the possibility of space travelling, and ultimately time travelling…
If you have never read anything from Einstein or Hawking and could understand the video in one shot… congrats, you are probably a genius ;)
Auto giant General Motors is joining forces with Segway to create a two-seated Segway concept car… (or scooter?)
There are 1 million industrial robots around the world (as of Dec 2008), and Japan has the highest density with 295 robots for every 10,000 manufacturing workers.
Singapore and Korea are second and third respectively on the chart, but significantly behind Japan in numbers [illustration by Mike Vella; more on IEEE]
The world’s biggest mobile phone makers and network operators have backed plans to create a universal phone charger.
Besides saving phone users some hassles, the specifications for the new device also include a 50% reduction in standby energy consumption.
The micro-USB connector (pic) will be used as the common charging interface.
Firms to back the plan include Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG, T-Mobile, Orange, 3, AT&T and Vodafone [more on BBC and Telegraph]
They should have done this long time ago; I guess it’s better late than never.
LG revealed its watch phone at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas earlier this month which managed to get the attention of worldwide gadget geeks…
Looks kinda cool… question is, how much would it cost?
Computer mouse celebrates its 40th birthday this week. The device was invented by Douglas Engelbart and his team at Stanford Research Institute; it was introduced to the public in a demonstration on December 9, 1968 in San Francisco.
The basic fundamentals of the mouse we use today are about the same as the 1968 invention, but the usage of the mouse wasn’t popularised until more than a decade later since its first introduction. It seems like nobody is really sure though… on who came out with the nickname Mouse.
Personal thanks to Mr Engelbart and his team; computing experience wouldn’t be the same without these technology pioneers.
The world’s first blue roses have been unveiled in Japan following nearly two decades of scientific research.
Developed by Suntory Flowers, the roses are genetically modified and implanted with a gene that simulates the synthesis of blue pigment in pansies.
The first blue rose was created in 2004, but further research was required to make them safe to grow in nature.
The Suntory rose made its public debut at the 5th International Flower Expo Tokyo (IFEX) over the weekend; and are expected to go on sale commercially next autumn.
Blue roses have been available in florists in recent years but are created by various dying techniques to stain the petals of naturally white roses. The Suntory roses are believed to be the first genetically-modified blue rose creations [more on Telegraph]
