The 'combo' laser...

Having a small, portable laser has long since been a science fiction dream. A new breakthrough might see that a the near horizon. By combining and focusing several similar wavelength laser - a more powerful laser can be emitted.. with lower power requirements.






Read more about it via Pop Sci:
www.popsci.com

Facelift..

If you've been lamenting the 'Savoy' in London being under construction - you can rejoice. The 120 year old hotel has just completed a 350 million dollar revamp - and they're taking reservations again. No word on the 'water pressure' situation. Details as available.





'The Savoy' via the Farimont Site:
www.fairmont.com

Seeing is believing...

Scientists at the Max Planck Institut have been having some fun with movies. They've figured out how to track and isolate individuals in a film clip - and alter their physical appearance. Taller, thinner,fatter, musculature etc - all these can be tweaked with the touch of a button.




Downloadable abstract and video sample from the Max Planck Institut:
www.mpi-inf.mpg.de/resources/MovieReshape

On the floor...

Whiskey fans rejoice. You can incorporate your favorite beverage into your rumpus room's decor. McKay Flooring is offering reclaimed wood from whiskey barrels as flooring distillery markings and all. Cost: 275 USD per sq. foot.






Details from McKay Flooring:
www.mckayflooring.co.uk

Super plan b...

Update: As you might recall, the 'Strand Craft 122' Super yacht was to go on sale. The yacht includes an onboard garage and custom made supercar. Sadly, they're all spoken for (only 6 will be made) The good news: back up offers are being taken via JamesList. Cost: 27.5 Million USD.






Details and sign up via JamesList:
www.jameslist.com

Snug.

If you're planning your next polar outing, you might need one of these: 'The Isopod Tent'. This four person tent is built specifically for extreme conditions. It's built of a special metalized fabric that can breath. It weights only 25.9 lbs and has 80 square feet of space inside. Available next year. Cost: 3,400 USD.





Tech Details from Nemo Equipment:
www.nemoequipment.com

Just set it..

Being a sniper is a tricky thing. DARPA is working on making that a little easier. In a joint effort with Lockheed Martin, they are developing an electro-optical targeting system that pre-calculates all the variables in long distance rifle targeting.






Read more about it via FoxNews:
www.foxnews.com

Khan man...

If you have a couple of minutes and an internet connection, you might like to hang out at 'Khan Academy'. A huge selection of free lectures on selected topics - math, finance, physics, biology, banking... over 1800 lectures and counting. It's like a tuneup for your brain.






Full list and search via the 'Khan Academy':
khanacademy.org

The new flap...

The first 'flapless' UAV has been test flown by BAE systems. The 'DEMON' drone can maneuver without the use of a flap system - rather it uses directed jets along the trailing edge of the wings.






Read more about it via FlightGlobal:
www.flightglobal.com

The tops...

The Israeli Department of Defense has developed the world's smallest gyroscope. These little gyros the size of a grain of sand work with lasers to measure minute changes. These would be extremely useful in creating GPS coordinates for places where signals can't reach (in a shielded building or deep underground, for example)





Read more about it via PopSci:
www.popsci.com

The friendly bazooka...

Each year, James Dyson (the vacuum cleaner inventor) has a contest for clever designs. One of this years submissions is rather interesting - the 'LongReach Buoyancy Deployment System'. It fires a water activated shell that acts as a float for people being rescued.





Read more about it via the James Dyson Site:
www.jamesdysonaward.org

Alternate destinations....

With all the buzz on space tourist business, Russia is looking ahead to accommodate more people. Plans are already being drawn up for an alternate space station that will have generalized docking facilities for all the 'space taxi' services that are being planned. Construction to start as early as 2012.






Read more about it via Discovery:
news.discovery.com

Heavy duty...

If you're looking for a customized Harley, you might try looking east. The 'Iron Guerilla' is a modified chassis that hails from 'Rough Crafts' of Tapei, Taiwan.






Read more about it via their blog:
blog.roughcrafts.com

Got it covered...

Soon you will be able to cover all your iDevices with the beloved moleskine covers. Each cover includes a handy pad of paper for taking actual notes on real paper as well.






Read more about it via Engadget:
www.engadget.com

Somewhat better...

There aren't too many bluetooth headsets that are attractive - the new 'Oasis' from Motorola is certainly a step up. After much research, there are many features that may not leap out at first glance - dual microphones, noise cancellation, dedicated mute button, and 6 hours of talk time. Cost: about 80 USD.





Available from Amazon.com:
amazon.com