World's tallest building opens, named Burj Khalifa

Just a few minutes ago, Dubai officially opened the world's tallest building. Until now, we thought it was going to be called the Burj Dubai, but get used to the name of the tallest building in the world: Burj Khalifa. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammad surprised everyone when he named the gigantic building after Sheikh Khalifa, president of the United Arab Emirates. [Read more...]

Hitachi builds 40.26mph elevator, fastest in the world

Buildings are getting higher, and nobody wants to stand around waiting for an elevator. Hitachi aims to fix that with its latest elevator, a 40.26 mph rocket that's the fastest in the world.

It's installing the new 1,080 m/min lift in the 698-foot G1Tower, a building constructed by Hitachi in Hitachinaka City, Japan specifically for testing elevators. The tower's construction will be completed in April. The new elevator goes so fast it needs its own air pressure control. [Read more...]

Computer mimics nature by watching TV

Bose finds something to do with its suspension

'Avatar' soars to new box office record

Science-fiction epic "Avatar" soared to a new global box office record, taking in 1.85 billion dollars and sinking "Titanic" to become the biggest earning film of all time, figures show.

"On Monday, January 25, 'Avatar' officially passed 'Titanic' to become the highest grossing film in history at the worldwide box office," 20th Century Fox studios said in a statement. [Read more...]

Audi A1 gets Wasabi Green interior and trim treatment

Ken Block 's Ford Fiesta

Block made his rise to fame largely due to the success of his stunt videos that amassed millions of views on YouTube, known as Gymkhana. Until now, Block has not raced on the world stage in a rally circuit – but he says he is anxious to get started in the learning process. [Read more...]

Augmented (hyper)Reality

Toyota Suspends Sale, Production of Popular Vehicles

Major Blow on Toyota

In an unprecedented move, Toyota on Tuesday suspended sales and production of some of its most popular vehicles to fix sticking gas pedals that could make the cars accelerate suddenly.

The suspension includes the best-selling car in America, the Camry, and the Avalon, the kind of car that careened off a road and into a pond in Southlake on Dec. 26, killing four church volunteers inside. [Read more...]

And, Here

NASA plans a major overhaul of its 'space Internet'

A new plan by NASA will see the agency consolidating its Space Network (SN), Near-Earth Network (NEN) and Deep Space Network (DSN) into one unified system as the agency goes about replacing aging communications technology, some of which has been in place since the '90s. [Read more...]

3M's 22-inch multitouch LCD screen can read 10 fingers at once

Multitouch screens are all the rage these days, and 3M's new 22-inch LCD multitouch screen looks to bring a lot to the party. While most multitouch screen can handle a couple of fingers, this bad boy can recognize all ten of your fingers at once for some serious multitouching.

Of course, there's not a whole lot of software out there that's designed to recognize all ten of your fingers at once. But eventually you've gotta assume it'll get here. So if you like planning ahead with these sorts of things, this is your monitor. Look for it to cost $1,500 whenever it's released.

Adolf Hitler furious for Ken Block’s switch from Subaru to Ford

F1 brake rotor Blows UP

When you’re watching a Formula One race and you see a driver inexplicably lose control of his car before crashing it, which is then followed by the announcers repeatedly explaining that the car’s brake rotor had caused it to lose braking, wouldn’t you want to see exactly how all of this happens...? Of course you would. Watch the video.

China slams US criticism of Internet controls

China's crying over US demands to open up their internet restrictions. Boo hoo... [Read more...]

Robots wants to be our Savior...

No-power Boogie Board LCD tablet wants to replace paper

Kent Displays has been working on its no-power reflex LCD for a while now, but now the company has sprouted a new arm — Improv Electronics — and that arm is clutching the new Boogie Board LCD Writing Tablet.

It's not a tablet computer meant to take on Apple's upcoming offering or HP's Slate. Instead, it's a clip you can write on and erase on its pressure-sensitive display, and it only uses power — from a watch battery — when it needs to erase. It's good for 50,000 erase cycles, the company says. [Read more...]

ZR1 Drag Race King - Spanks GTR, 599, and GT2

2010 Honda HSV-010 GT

The letters "HSV" stand for Honda Sports Velocity. Since joining the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) in 1997 with its NSX-GT, Honda has competed in a total of 106 races during 13 years through the end of the 2009 season. During this time, Honda has taken the pole position 50 times and won 37 races.

The model conforms to the 2010 GT500 Regulations, (including a 3.4-liter V8 engine and an FR layout) issued by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), having earned JAF-GT500 basic vehicle registration. The HSV-010 GT is slated to debut at the Super GT season opener at the Suzuka Circuit, held on March 20–21 (Sat.–Sun.), 2010. [Read more...]

Ford goes to Space for better simulators

The simulation tech is essentially the same software used to create the 3D world of Avatar. Space-shuttle supplier United Space Alliance (USA) uses it to run simulations to improve mission safety (at least they will until the shuttle is retired later this year). They've already given Ford tips on improving response time, and the carmaker returned the favor, schooling USA on how to better simulate actual people. Maybe James Cameron should be taking notes.

Electro-pulse cannon stops cars in their tracks

Today's cars are so full of computerized electronics, one serious electromagnetic pulse could stop any car built after the mid-'70s in an instant. Canadian company Eureka Aerospace might be able to do that with its High-Powered Electromagnetic System (HPEMS). It's a suitcase-sized electromagnetic pulse (EMP) cannon that immediately disables a car or truck from 656 feet away without hurting the driver or innocent bystanders.

This EMP cannon is said to be ready for a demo next month. So far, the prototype is too unwieldy to place in a police car, but the idea is to shrink the device to the size of a handgun. That will make it easy to mount in police helicopters, cars, and military vehicles, potentially putting an end to deadly high-speed chases, and stopping suicide bombers from a safe distance.

This could be a fantastic development. We're wondering if it's possible to aim the pulse at one specific vehicle, or if all vehicles in the vicinity would be disabled. On a crowded highway, that could create a gigantic traffic snarl that would take hours to untangle.

Toyota Recalls 2.3 million cars with Stuck Accelerators

2009 saw the largest-ever recall in the history of Toyota with 4.3 million vehicles recalled due to floor mats catching the accelerator pedal. Now, Toyota has launched a separate recall for 2.3 million vehicles concerning gas pedals that can malfunction and stick – without a floor mat in the vehicle. [Read more...]

Ninjas fight over Nexus One

Will YouTube Be the Place to Rent Movies?

YouTube has made a couple of big announcements. First of all, they are going to start renting movies. They are kicking off this initiative by partnering with the Sundance Film Festival, making five films from 2010 and 2009 available for rent for U.S. users. This starts Friday and will run through Sunday January 31. [Read more...]

Rings of Earth?

Quadrocopter lurks mid-air, shoots video or peeps

This is no toy, created for professional videographers to smoothly shoot aerial footage, and serious peeping toms to look into places where they're not necessarily wanted. Watch video > [Read more...]

HP's Wall of Touch watches you, too

We've seen the future, and it involves a gigantic wall that reacts to your touch. HP's "Wall of Touch" can do even better than that, sensing your intent even when your hands come close to touching it. Cameras and a magnetic strip detect where your hands are, activating the items on the screen accordingly. [Read more...]

Horrifying noisemaker can kill within 30 feet

And you thought those noisy neighbors were annoying. The Thunder Generator turns mere racket into deadly waves. It uses liquid petroleum to create explosions that generate such noisy shockwaves that they can stun people a football field away, and kill them if they're within 30 feet.

Originally used to scare birds away, this amped-up version has military implications — you can lash a few of them together to create a fearsome parameter, scaring off all comers. You can even curve the barrel to make the sound go around 90-degree angles. Is that even possible?

Scary stuff, indeed. Let's just hope the cops don't start using this as just another one of their "harmless" nonlethal weapons, such as the Taser. [Read more...]

Leno anticipates return to 11:30, lauds O'Brien

Jay Leno turned serious on his show to discuss the late-night chaos at NBC, telling viewers that he'd been doubtful about launching a prime-time show but was prevented by NBC from going to another network instead. [Read more...]

US threatened by looming 'geek shortage,' says DARPA

Right now, DARPA says, America's "ability to compete in the increasingly internationalized stage will be hindered without college graduates with the ability to understand and innovate cutting edge technologies in the decades to come… Finding the right people with increasingly specialized talent is becoming more difficult and will continue to add risk to a wide range of DoD [Department of Defense] systems that include software development." [Read more...]

Fermilab builds massive 570-megapixel camera

You think that Canon DSLR you got for Christmas has a lot of megapixels? Try this: The camera made for the Dark Energy Survey is the size of a car and captures images with 570 megapixels. Created from 74 individual CCDs, the image sensor is over three feet in diameter. Even with the camera's sophisticated data-acquisition system, each photo is so big that it takes 17 seconds to capture.

Tiniest 1080p-playing PC

Here's proof that someday soon, home theater PCs will take the form factor of tiny dongles. Inside this outlandishly small PC is the Via EPIA-P820 Pico-ITX motherboard, and Via's AMOS-3001 is the first PC to use it. As you can see by the gallery below, this exceptionally small PC has COM ports and two USB ports on the front, and Ethernet, USB, and HDMI ports in back. The PC is a mere 6 inches wide. [Read more...]

Revealing Emperor's new gaming and workstation

Depending on how much you load it up, it'll run you $5,000 to $10,000. You can pre-order by Monday at NovelQuest. [Read more...]

Parrot AR.Drone

Intel Infoscape flaunts jaw-dropping graphics

Samsung's Transparent OLED Prototype Laptop

Inside Apple's Marketing Machine...

How to leak info when you are Apple?

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, but a former senior marketing manager at Apple posted an article today “confirming” that the company does indeed purposely leak information in order to amplify the buzz surrounding an upcoming product, or for any number of other reasons. [Read more...]

Ballmer tries to steal Apple's Thunder with Windows Tablet?

"It was interesting that Ballmer used the term 'slate PC' a few weeks after it's been known that Apple registered the name iSlate," said Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret. "A week ago they were tablets, and now everyone is calling them slates, including Ballmer." [Read more...]

Holographic laser touchscreen

This holographic laser projector (HLP) projects images onto curved and tilted surfaces. We just got our hands on the tech in the back rooms of CES 2010, and it works beautifully. By using red, blue and green lasers to project large triangles onto a 10-inch area, Light Blue Optics has created Light Touch, resulting in a fascinating laser touchscreen that's surprisingly interactive. [Read more...]

Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology

Mini Vacuum Tube Amp

Audiophiles simply love vacuum tubes, devices that give audio a warm, analog sound. The problem is, they're insanely expensive, meaning they're usually only available to the craziest and most well-heeled of enthusiasts. But this MiniWatt is a vacuum tube amp that you can actually afford.

For a relatively reasonable $229, the MiniWatt is a diminutive little amp, but that doesn't mean it doesn't pack a punch. The geeks at ToneAudio magazine hooked it up to a pair of $3,500 speakers and it blew them away. If you're looking for a cheap and easy way to give your setup a big boost, this could be right up your alley. [Read more...]

Twittering Laser Tripwire with Webcam Capture

Skype to offer video service on LG, Panasonic TVs

Privately held Skype has forged deals with consumer electronics makers LG Electronics and Panasonic in a bid to move its Internet video service beyond the desktop computer to the living room TV. [Read more...]

Gorgeous iSlate design guess: reed-thin, button-free

As a crowd of tech companies roll out tablets at the upcoming CES 2010, lurking underneath will be Apple's alleged iSlate tablet. Rumors swirl everywhere, and now here's yet another concept of what the actual Apple tablet might be like. That is, if it even exists, or if it will be actually be introduced on January 26 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

We're hoping this 10-incher is the real thing. It trumps many of the other design concepts we've seen, differing in its absence of any buttons whatsoever. Steve Jobs hates buttons — so this design seems to have a ring of truth about it. Could this be close to the actual iSlate we might see at the end of this month?

Desktop V-Twin Engine, gone in 600 seconds

Attention motorheads: take back all the socks and ties you got for Christmas and plunk your moolaa down for this Desktop V Twin engine. Sure, you're going to have to return a lot of gift detritus for this $1000 butane-fueled power plant, but get this: It really works. [Read more...]

MechWarrior mod for Crysis meets your giant robot needs

If you want to play the latest mech game, you're going to need a copy of Crysis. Your latest option to stomp around in a giant robot is a Crysis mod called MechWarrior: Living Legends. Stomping around in giant robots is a dying art, often relegated to parts of larger games, such as Riddick, Avatar, and F.E.A.R. Here it's the centerpiece for a mix of gameplay styles. [Read more...]

2009 marked mass exodus of Detroit ad accounts

For the better part of the last half-century, the Detroit automakers have relied on Detroit-based ad agencies for the majority of their advertising needs. However, the fallout that started in 2007 has ravaged the industry, leaving many of today’s ad accounts to agencies nowhere near the Detroit area. [Read more...]

Finally, control your TV with your iPhone

You can already use your iPhone to control your iTunes on your computer using Apple's Remote app, but you've never been able to use your iPhone as your TV's remote control. But that's about to change.

A company called L5 Technology is releasing the L5 Remote next month, a $50 infrared dongle paired with a free app that turns your iPhone into the ultimate universal remote. The app lets you drag and drop buttons around on the screen to set up just how you want it to work for your various devices. The dongle doesn't require batteries, and it looks pretty sweet, although we'll have to see how it actually works before getting too excited.

Apple Orders 10 Million Tablets?

That figure--10 million--seems awfully high for a consumer product that's charting unknown territory. The tablet (or iSlate or iPad, if you prefer) would target an untapped market, if rumors of the device's form and functionality are true. True, a few tablet-style browser/media players are either already on the market or are arriving shortly, but none has garnered anywhere near the attention of the Apple tablet. [Read more...]

An Affordable $199 Tablet for Everyone - Not from Apple

Freescale, which supplies the guts for this new breed of computers called smartbooks (about one third the size and volume of a typical netbook), is putting its weight behind this category with a concept of what could become everybody's tablet. [Read more...]

Google Finally Beats Apple

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) may be mere fringe players in the battle of Internet browsers, but the world's leading search engine has new bragging rights over its former buddies in Cupertino.

Net Applications is reporting that Google Chrome commanded a 4.63% slice of the global browser market in December, passing Apple Safari's 4.46% slice along the way. [Read more...]

Northrop Grumman Bat UAV

Apple's most significant products of the decade

The end of one year and the beginning of another usually lends itself to list making. That goes double when the second-to-last digit in a calendar year flips over to a new number. That's when every writer worth his or her salt breaks out a pad of paper, an almanac, and a top 10 list to signify the most important, most memorable, or best things of a particular decade. [Read more...]