Month: February 2015

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E&T news weekly #39 – we choose our favourite engineering and technology news stories from the week

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Friday February 27 2015  Jonathan Wilson, online managing editor Robotic nurse bear to take over demanding healthcare tasks Cuddly healthcare robots have been in the news this week, just as they have been in cinemas lately. In the Disney animated film Big Hero 6, the friendly humanoid robot Baymax is designed to diagnose medical conditions and also act as an empathetic companion to soothe convalescing patients. Back in the real world, as life imitates art, Japanese engineers have developed a robotic bear that can assist and potentially even replace nurses in hospitals by helping immobile or otherwise movement-impaired patients. Created by … Continue reading E&T news weekly #39 – we choose our favourite engineering and technology news stories from the week

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#GenevaMotorShow – star cars on show from #Ferrari and more – three annotated infographics

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Once again, the world’s automotive manufacturers will shortly be zipping around the picturesque roads of Geneva, casting narcissistic glances at the reflections of their new super cars as they cruise by the placid, mirror-like surface of the adjacent eponymous Lake. Yes, ’tis time again for the Geneva Motor Show, when many otherwise perfectly sane, grown-up individuals lose their heads and bandy together in huddled groups, to stand slack-jawed and drooling in awe at the latest strategically shaped and painted hunks of metal before them. Over 220 exhibitors will be showing around 900 cars at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show, … Continue reading #GenevaMotorShow – star cars on show from #Ferrari and more – three annotated infographics

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New #Haynes manuals show #space tech doesn’t have to be rocket science

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Reviewing Haynes’ new ‘Owners’ Workshop Manual’ for the various models of Nasa’s Gemini spacecraft in the current issue of E&T, Mark Williamson welcomes the recognition it gives to the projects that laid the engineering groundwork for the much more celebrated Apollo missions.   Although small (you could pack six or seven Gemini capsules into a Space Shuttle payload bay), it was America’s first ‘real spacecraft’, as this manual clearly shows… As one would expect from a modern-day Haynes guide, it is illustrated with line drawings based on the Nasa originals and an excellent set of nicely printed colour photographs. Gemini … Continue reading New #Haynes manuals show #space tech doesn’t have to be rocket science

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@Pebble Time #smartwatch smashes Kickstarter target and sets new record – an annotated infographic

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In honour of the new Pebble Time smartwatch and its frankly ridonkulous achievement of attracting $6.5m of investment on Kickstarter in a mere half day, we present an up close and personal infographic devoted to this record-breaking, wrist-wrapping superwatch. Key feature: the low-power colour e-ink display that enables the device to enjoy up to one week’s worth of battery life from a full charge. Take that, Apple Watch! Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading @Pebble Time #smartwatch smashes Kickstarter target and sets new record – an annotated infographic

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#Smartwatch market set to explode as clock ticks down to #AppleWatch launch – an annotated infographic

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The burgeoning smartwatch market looks set to explode with the imminent April release of the Apple Watch. App makers are hoping for the same kind of gold rush that arrived with the iPhone App Store in 2008 and have been metaphorically hopping excitedly from foot to foot since the Apple Watch launch event. Talk of the Watch even dominated CES 2015, despite Apple not even exhibiting at the gadget show. There have been some bumps along the road so far, as manufacturing issues beset early production. There has also been widespread interwebs carping about the projected battery life of Watch. … Continue reading #Smartwatch market set to explode as clock ticks down to #AppleWatch launch – an annotated infographic

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#NSA accused of hiding #spyware deep within computer hard drives – an annotated infographic

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In the week that the Edward Snowden documentary “Citizenfour” won the Best Documentary award at the Oscars, it should come as no surprise to hear that the U.S. National Security Agency – the NSA to its friends – has been hiding spyware deep within computer hard drives made by top manufacturers, giving the agency the means to eavesdrop on the majority of the world’s computers. That this revelation should come from researchers in Russia, looking to further hurt the NSA’s surveillance abilities, should also come as no surprise. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading #NSA accused of hiding #spyware deep within computer hard drives – an annotated infographic

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Russia’s new weapon of choice – the #Kalashnikov AK-12 – an annotated infographic

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Good news – that is, if you enjoy shooting Ukrainian soldiers in the face. If that’s not your bag, the news that the Russian military has declared that the AK-12 assault rifle will soon replace the AK-74 as its new weapon of choice may largely leave you as cold as a Siberian gulag. The AK-12 will become the standard-issue infantry rifle to troops in service with the Russian military. The rifle is capable of firing both Russian and NATO-calibre ammunition. It’s nice to have that choice, really. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading Russia’s new weapon of choice – the #Kalashnikov AK-12 – an annotated infographic

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China dredging to reclaim land in disputed Spratly islands – an annotated infographic

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China is conducting dredging operations to reclaim land at six locations in the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea. The largest project – begun at at Fiery Cross Reef in August – is an artificial island big enough for a 3,000-metre-long runway and harbour. The collection of approximately 45 Spratly islands and reefs have no indigenous inhabitants, but offer rich fishing grounds and may also contain significant oil and natural gas reserves. That goes more than a little way to explaining China’s tenacious interest in holding on to them, in the face of ongoing territorial disputes with Taiwan, … Continue reading China dredging to reclaim land in disputed Spratly islands – an annotated infographic

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#FormulaE 2015 season team details and street circuits refined – an annotated infographic

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Four races in, the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship season has now been finalised, with the introduction of Moscow as race 9 bumping London to race 10, the final challenge. The circuit for the London race was also confirmed this week. As E&T news reported, the first season of the electric motor racing series will now conclude with a double-header race weekend on a temporary street circuit constructed in London’s Battersea Park. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading #FormulaE 2015 season team details and street circuits refined – an annotated infographic

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World goes bonkers for music streaming services – an annotated infographic

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We never thought we’d say this, but: poor old CDs. On the one hand, vinyl sales are up, up, up 50 per cent year on year to a near 25-year high – higher sales, in fact, than at any time since 1991, when Nirvana’s Nevermind album first blew up radios worldwide. On the other hand, the majority of folks who never cared much for physical media have turned to streaming music services with a vengeance. No shelf space, no heartache. Even cassette tapes are enjoying a hipster renaissance, as a subset of the digital-generation music fans dig in to the … Continue reading World goes bonkers for music streaming services – an annotated infographic