Magnetic heat shields to replace ablative tiles on space shuttles?

By Damir Beciri
5 December 2009

space-shuttle-re-entering-atmosphereHeat shields are an important part of any space vehicle that re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere. The next generation of heat shields made to protect astronauts and payloads on their re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere may use superconducting magnets to deflect the plasma that forms in front of spacecraft as they travel at high speeds in… »

Dual-format discs with Blu-ray and DVD content from Universal

By Damir Beciri
3 December 2009

blu-ray-discIn an attempt to elevate the Blu-ray Hi-Def format and provide consumers with the convenience and viewing flexibility, Universal Studios Home Entertainment (USHE) announced the introduction of dual-format discs containing both Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD versions of some of Hollywood’s most iconic films. The “flipper” discs are announced to be launched on January 19, 2010… »

Augmented reality closer to general public via smartphones

By Damir Beciri
30 November 2009

smartphone-augmented-realityWe wrote about various augmented reality devices in our previous articles. Augmented reality glasses, see-through LED displays, Retinal Imaging Devices (from NEC and Brother) and SixthSence, all share the same principle and that is showing additional information about the world around us. However, most of the mentioned technologies are either too expensive or still in… »

ANDREA – an air purifier which uses indoor plants to filter air

By Damir Beciri
5 Comments29 November 2009

andrea-plant-air-purifierIt is said that the air we breathe in the places where we live and work can often be 5 to 10 times more noxious than walking on the street, along with the dangerous chemicals found in commonly used household products. Designed by Mathieu Lehanneur and David Edwards of Harvard University, ANDREA is an air… »

Mind “reading” – What do you have to hide?

By Damir Beciri
28 November 2009

tinfoilhatHaving the ability to read someone’s mind with a “thought machine” has been developed more intensively during the last decade. Scientists showed that they could guess a person’s memory simply by looking at the electrical activity of the brain. They have found that spatial memories can be “read” by a brain scanner so that it… »

Green architecture – Portola Valley Town Center

By Damir Beciri
26 November 2009

portola-valley-town-center1The Town of Portola Valley and the design team developed a new master plan through an open and participatory process, a series of public workshops that focused on the Town Center program, site opportunities and constraints, and sustainable design goals on this 11-acre parcel. A new Library, Town Hall, and Community Hall frame a new… »

Qualcomm Mirasol display for color e-readers inspired by butterflies

By Damir Beciri
3 Comments23 November 2009

qualcomm-mirasol-displayQualcomm MEMS Technologies new Mirasol display is the first full color, video-capable display on a prototype e-reader, built on the concept of the iridescence of butterfly’s wings. The inspiration for Mirasol’s engineering came from nature’s most vividly colored creatures: the cerulean wing of a butterfly, the ruby throat of a hummingbird, and the rainbow flash… »

Digital display walls just got better with Christie MicroTiles

By Damir Beciri
21 November 2009

christie-microtiles1Christie recently launched MicroTiles, a unique digital display technology that creates a virtually seamless digital canvas in almost any size or shape. Christie MicroTiles are modular digital display tiles that can be stacked and clustered like building blocks to create display walls, while using an entirely new, advanced optical design that produces unparalleled levels of… »