The shirt you spray on: For clothes that fit like a second skin, try instant fabric in a can

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSZlHqXGz7Iendofvid

[starttext]

By Tamara Cohen

Stage one: This might tickle a bit... Dr Torres spray paints the model's shoulder and torso. Both wear goggles to protect their eyes


Rummaging in a drawer, grabbing a T- shirt and slipping it over your head would certainly be simpler. But some of us are willing to put a little more effort into our wardrobes.

The result? A shirt that fits so snugly it looks as if it has been sprayed on to the body. Actually, it has.

Thanks to a liquid mixture made of cotton fibres we could soon be spraying ourselves into everything from T-shirts, dresses, trousers to swim-wear and hats.

Fabrican - literally fabric in an aerosol can - is the brainchild of Spanish designer Dr Manel Torres who has spent ten years working on his invention.

In a video demonstrating how it works, he sprays a blue and white T-shirt on to a model in just under 15 minutes.

Drying as soon as it hits his skin, the garment can be taken off, washed and re-worn.

Dr Torres teamed up with Paul Luckham, Professor of Particle Technology at Imperial College London, to create Fabrican, which consists of cotton fibres, polymers (the plastics which hold them together) and solvents which keep it in liquid form.


Stage two: Thank goodness I didn't ask for a suit... The fabric, drying fast, is already showing a couple of creases on the model's torso


Stage three: Plain white's so yesterday... Dr Torres decides to add a fetching splatter of blue to brighten things up a little


When you get bored with your creation it can be dissolved and the material used again to make something new or repair old designs.

Dr Torres said the idea was to be able to create clothes instantly and cheaply, all of which would be a perfect fit.

'I really wanted to make a futuristic, seamless, quick and comfortable material,' he said.

'To show science and technology can help fashion designers, I ended up returning to the principles of the earliest textiles such as felt, which were also produced by taking fibres and finding a way of binding them together without having to weave or stitch.'


Stage 4: A touch to the neckline shows how the fabric dies away from the body



Stage five: The shirt off my back... The garment can be taken off, washed and re-worn


Fabrican is still a couple of years from hitting the shelves.

Dr Torres is working on ways to create more forgiving shapes as not everyone likes their clothes clinging to every curve. He is also trying to minimise the distinct whiff of solvent about the garments.

And although some spray-on designs will be on show at London Fashion Week, the instant fabric could end up being used for everything from bandages to furniture upholstery.



source: dailymail
[endtext]

Ooh-arr 2 D2: Humanoid made in Cornwall bought by Nasa to become robot tour guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQDQKqO44QIendofvid
[starttext]
By Daily Mail Reporter

RoboThespian can interact with a human audience and speak a pre-programmed script in 15 languages


He speaks 15 languages, has a cheeky sense of humour and can even do impressions.
And now this frighteningly life-like robot, built by a small firm in Cornwall, has been bought by Nasa to become a robotic tour guide.

The robot, who is known as RoboThespian, is powered by compressed air and is made almost entirely from aluminium.

Scroll down to watch videos of RoboThespian in action

It was made by Cornish firm Engineered Arts, which has only seven members of staff.

Unlike his rather more macho R2 Robonaut, that will be sent to the International Space Station later this year, RoboThespian will remain firmly Earth-bound.

The RoboThespian comes in three variations, the Lite, Standard and Deluxe versions. It can also be hired for events.

On the firm's website, the Deluxe version comes in at £79,500, which gives access to all of the robot's more advanced features such as powered legs and customisable content.

Nasa is to pay £70,520 for the robot to guide visitors around its Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral.

RoboThespian comes with standard greetings and impressions, to which you can add your own recorded sequences or bespoke content.


Two RoboThespians interact with one another. The robot's astonishingly life-like appearance has convinced Nasa to pay £70,000 for its services


It was first developed by Cornish firm Engineer Arts in 2006 to take part in a Mechanical Theatre production at the Eden Project.

RoboThespian made its official debut at the Association of Science-Technology Centers conference in Los Angeles in 2007 where it performed in a series of film clips and interacted with the audience.

It comes with a touchscreen interface that lets users pre-programme a series of movements.

Will Jackson, boss of makers Engineered Arts, said: 'We're very proud.

'It is a triumph for West Country technical prowess and engineering know-how. We beat some of the best robot-making companies from the US and Japan.'






source:dailymail
[endtext]

Refraction action: Stunning rainbow caught in trail of F-22 fighter jet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TreIGaqRtSEendofvid

[starttext]
Blaze of glory: Plane spotter Bernardo Malfitano took this stunning photo of the F-22 as it passed overhead during an air show


It looks like a fancy new special smoke effect that would put the the Red Arrows' simple colours to shame.

But this spectacular photograph is simply a remarkable fluke of nature when all the components that were needed to create this kaleidoscope effect were suddenly present.

Keen plane spotter Bernardo Malfitano took the shot and was stunned when he saw the incredible rainbow pouring from behind the F-22 fighter jet.


*** Scroll down for video ***


The picture was taken at the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California in 2008.

It has only emerged now because it has just won second prize in the Museum of Flight's Spirit of Flight annual photography competition in Seattle.

The effect was enhanced by Mr Malfitano upping the contrast on the original photograph to maximise the rainbow, which had the added effect of making the plane appear like a silhouette.

The aeronautical engineer from Seattle works for Boeing, and he said: 'This is an F-22 at Miramar at the top of a loop.

'He is pulling so many Gs, the low pressure air over the fuselage that is sucking the airplane into the loop gets cold enough for the water to condense.'

Mr Malfitano, who attends around 20 air shows a year, added: 'The angle is just right for sunlight to undergo total internal refraction and make rainbow colours around the airplane.'


The plane is an F-22 fighter jet developed by Lockheed Martin and capable of reaching speeds of Mach 1.82


source: dailymail

[endtext]

Samsung Galaxy Tab: Firm joins forces with Google by launching tablet to take on Apple's iPad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTOASwRl3bYendofvid
[starttext]
By Sean Poulter and Niall Firth

iPad killer? People compare the performance of Apple's iPad (L) and Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablet devices at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin today


Apple faces a killer blow to its iPad after Samsung unveiled its own device amid rumours it could could be just half the price.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab with its seven inch touchscreen is smaller than the iPad, however it matches the Apple device in virtually all other functions.

Initial details suggest some aspects of the Tablet are even more sophisticated than the Apple creation.

At the same time, Apple faces competition from other technology giants which are racing to get their own touchscreen tablets into the shops before Christmas

The iPad has been a phenomenal success, selling three million units within the first 80 days of its launch earlier this year despite its high starting price of £429.

No official prices have yet been announced for the Galaxy Tab, however company officials suggest it could be just £200.

Both the iPad and the Galaxy Tab connect to the internet for free via Wi-fi hot spots.

Importantly, both can also link to the web while on the go via a mobile phone network connection which has to be bought separately either on monthly contract or a pay as you go basis.

Just as the iPhone redefined the smart phone, triggering a raft of lookalike rivals, so the iPad has established a new market for tablet style computers.

It is being placed in a gap between smartphones and the bulkier net books and lap tops.

The details of the Galaxy Tab were made public by the South Korean company today at the IFA technology show in Berlin.

It uses the increasingly popular Android operating system software, which is providing a serious challenge to Apple's own technology.


The Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet comes with multi-touch technology just like Apple's iPad but is considerably smaller


Historically, Apple devices scored because of their stylish looks, ease of use and, particularly, because of the hundreds of thousands of specialist Aps - applications - that could be bought or downloaded for free.

The Aps, which range from simple maps and navigation to games, shopping services and even heart monitors have converted smartphones into a modern day essential.

Duncan Bell, Operations Editor at T3 magazine said: 'With its support for Flash video and cameras front and back – both key features for a lot of punters, missing from the iPad – and iPad-like easy access to music, book and app stores the Samsung Galaxy S matches or surpasses the iPad in most areas.

'My only reservations are on battery life and screen size. The camera and Flash video mean it will almost certainly have significantly shorter battery life than the iPad.

'I also feel Apple got it pretty much bang on with a screen size of 10 inches. The Galaxy’s seven inches isn’t small as such but you’ll miss that extra space when browsing or watching video.

'Pricing will also be key, but it’s hard to envisage a Samsung product costing more than an equivalent Apple one. The Galaxy is the first real competition for the iPad.

If tablets are going to be anything more than an Apple-dominated niche market, a product as good as this really should fly.'


The Samsung Galaxy Tab will embrace augmented reality where the rear camera and GPS are combined to give information about real life surroundings


However, software producers are making the same Aps available to people with smartphones - and now tablets - using the Android system.

The Galaxy's 7-inch screen compares to the larger 9.7in for the iPad. Arguably, this makes it more portable, however the images are necessarily smaller.

One of the advantages of the larger screen is that the iPad has found a niche as an ebook reader, allowing people to download and read books, magazines and newspapers.

Unlike the iPad, the Galaxy Tab has the latest version of the Adobe Flash software, which means it is capable of showing more of the video images found on the internet.

It features a camera on each side of the device, as well as a slot for expandable memory.

Both the iPad and the Galaxy allow people to make video calls, however this is only via a wi-fi link to the internet. Significantly, the Galaxy Tab also has the capability to make mobile phone calls.


The new tablet is an advance on the technology included in Samsung's popular Galaxy S smartphone. The company is also looking at the possibility of a larger 10in screen tablet.

One Samsung product executive said the new tablet will probably sell for between $200 and $300. It is likely to be sold as part of a package incorporating a mobile phone contract.

Simon Stanford, head of mobile for Samsung in the UK and Ireland., said: 'Samsung recognises the tremendous growth potential in this newly created market and we believe that the Samsung Galaxy Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market.'

Samsung's head of product portfolio, Thomas Richter, said:'This is not just another tablet. We call it a Smart Media device.'

Vodafone has announced that it will distribute the device in European markets including the UK in October. It will also be available from others.

Vodafone's Patrick Chomet said: 'Adding tablets as part of our device range is a natural next step that gives customers an alternative way to enjoy great content and internet services.'


The Galaxy Tab has a seven-inch touchscreen, slightly smaller than the iPad's 9.7 inches, and has a rear-mounted camera


Other technology firms PC makers including LG Electronics and Hewlett-Packard are already moving into the new category of devices.

And Dell said last month it was launching its new tablet device called the Dell Streak to U.S. customers.


Apple boss Steve Jobs holds up the new iPad at its launch earlier this year


'Samsung is betting big on the tablet category with this device,' said Ben Wood, research director at CCS Insight, adding the success of Galaxy Tab - which is smaller than iPad with its 9.7-inch screen - will depend on pricing.

'If positioned carefully the Galaxy Tab could emerge as an operator-friendly alternative to Apple's iPad as it could be subsidised to extremely low price points in the run-up to the lucrative holiday sales season,' he said.

Lee said most European operators selling Samsung phones were set to also sell the Tab to their clients, and several operators would sell it in the United States.

Last week research firm iSuppli forecast the iPad will likely account for nearly three-quarters of worldwide tablet shipments this year, and hold at least 70 percent of the market in 2011 and 62 percent by 2012.

Samsung said the market was far from fixed yet.

'The market opportunity is wide open. We believe our Galaxy Tab will fill the big white space,' said YH Lee.

The Tab comes with an application called the ‘Readers Hub,’ Samsung’s unique e-reading application, which provides easy access to a vast digital library – from classical literature to the latest bestsellers and reference materials.

The new device also uses Swype technology which lets users type by sliding their fingers across the screen.


source: dailymail [endtext]

Move over Fred Flintstone: The human-powered car that can reach speeds of up to 60mph

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7aapY_yMnQendofvid
[starttext]

Crank it up: The HumanCar Imagine PS can reach speeds of up to 60mph and is powered by people 'rowing' as well as a back-up electric battery


It looks like the kind of vehicle you would see Fred Flinstone driving around Bedrock, but this hand-powered hybrid car can reach speeds of up to 60mph and keep you fit at the same time.

The HumanCar Imagine PS, which can seat up to four people, is the brainchild of Charles Greenwood, an engineer who has been working on developing the perfect human-powered vehicle for more than 40 years.

With all four people cranking, the vehicle can travel on human power alone, but it also has electric battery power for when there are fewer passengers.

It is started by just a few hand cranks backwards and forwards and the company behind it says a senior citizen in reasonable shape should be able to manage it easily.

Mr Greenwood began working on human-power cars in 1968 as a way to tackle polluting exhaust fumes and the unhealthy bodies of many drivers.

It is capable of climbing hills at 30mph and can accelerate to 60mph on flat terrain.


Eco-friendly: Mr Greenwood takes one of his prototypes out for a spin


Handy: When the car goes on sale next year, priced at £10,000, it will feature an all-weather roof, touch-screen display and GPS


Enterprising: Mr Greenwood has been working on human-powered cars for more than 40 years


The Imagine PS is expected to go on sale next year costing £10,000 and the company says it has already received 100 pre-orders.

An all-weather roof is being developed for the commercially available cars and models could also feature a touch-screen display with GPS and biometric data logging, sound, computer and communications systems. Air bags are also a further addition to later models.

Production on the cars, which are now street legal, will begin when the company has 800 pre-orders.

Mr Greenwood said HumanCar is independent and 'essentially profitable now'. He added it has a 200-year business plan which includes taking human-powered cars to the developing world, along with other products such as a two-person mobile power station that folds into a suitcase.


Good exercise: Mr Greenwood cranks the handle of the car as it drives along the road


source: dailymail

[endtext]

On ONE wing and a prayer: The heart-stopping moment a stunt plane snapped apart mid-air

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PaxZoLE-EMendofvid
[starttext]
By Mail Foreign Service

Sheared disaster: Left, Dino Moline's RANS Air Brigade plane can be seen upside down in the middle of a manoeuvre 1,640 feet in the air. Right, a split second later, the plane lurches as the wing snaps off


This is the terrifying moment a pilot nearly lost his life after the wing of his plane snapped off mid-air.

But Argentine pilot Dino Moline managed to activate the plane's ballistic parachute - walking away from the crash with just a burnt foot.

The 22-year-old was performing in an air display in Santa Fe, Argentina, on August 15.



Miracle escape: Quick-thinking Mr Moline deployed the plane's ballistic parachute. He crashed to the ground in a ball of flame - but managed to walk away with just a burnt foot


The 3,000 onlookers could only watch in horror as the wing snapped off his RANS Air Brigade Plane 1,640 feet above the ground - while it was upside down in the middle of a manoeuvre.

The plane began to spin dangerously out of control.

But Mr Moline managed to dodge death by deploying the parachute, which slowed his sickening fall to earth.

The plane crashed to the ground in a roar of flames, but Mr Moline escaped alive with minor injuries.

'I don't know what happened to me,' he wrote on the website for 'Show Aereo 2010.


A photographer at the scene captures an image of the plane as it spirals to the ground


'I believe it was metal fatigue.

'I felt an explosion. I saw a shadow passing to the side of me - it was the wing.'

In what surely qualifies as the understatement of the year, he added: 'I saw fire inside the plane and I despaired a little.

'My foot got burned but I'm fine.'

The plane, according to an Aviation News website, is made in the U.S.

It is sold in components and sold to buyers to put together themselves at home - a detail that could give further insight into the crash.

It is not known if Mr Moline's plane had been modified at all.



source: dailymail[endtext]

Fancy a ride in my shark? It looks like a great white, soars 12ft into the air then dives under waves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMgRqxNqYD8endofvid
[starttext]
By Linda Das

Jaw-dropping: The Seabreacher has a top speed of 50mph, seats two people and can jump 12ft from the surface


As we scud over the surface of the water, the theme music from Jaws is the last thing I want to hear. But inventor Rob Innes begs to differ. He's playing the tune at top volume over the sound system.

Which perhaps isn't that surprising. I am, after all, the nervous and not entirely willing passenger in an extremely fast, fibreglass shark.

The Seabreacher X - co-created and now driven by Rob - is the ultimate millionaire's boy-toy: a James Bond-style craft that can dive under water, roll from side to side and jump 12ft into the air.


Making waves: Inventor Rob Innes with Linda Das during the first-ever passenger trial of the Seabreacher


It looks like a great white shark, complete with dorsal fin, gaping jaws and rows of dagger-sharp teeth. At 16.5ft in length, it is even the same size as one.

Unlike the real thing, it also has a 260hp engine, which powers it to 50mph above water, and 20mph below it.

Rob, 37, is a watersports fanatic. And along with friend Dan Piazza, 52, he has turned his hobby into a thriving business.

The pair built their first submersible 12 years ago and today their company, Innespace, has a year-long waiting list of rich adrenaline-junkies eager to buy one of their custom-built playthings.

Toys they may be, but each one costs about £60,000.

'The seabreacher is really for people with a large disposable income who want to have fun,' explains Rob.

'It's pretty popular in the Middle East, but we've also sold them to clients in Korea and the Caribbean.'

he seabreacher is unlike anything I've seen on the water before.


Need a bigger boat? the shaft craft is 16ft long and has a dorsal fin and gaping jaws


'This isn't a submarine - you're not going to visit the Titanic in it,' Rob warns. 'It's more of a cross between a plane and a boat, and we've been improving the models constantly so they can do more and more tricks.'

Just how many tricks, I am about to discover. For Rob, Dan and myself are on Whiskeytown Lake, just outside Redding, California, on the Seabreacher X's maiden passenger voyage.

Seabreacher X is a snug two-seater. So Rob and I squeeze in and leave Dan on the shore, clutching a contact radio.

Then we're off - skimming at high speed across the water. We roll 90 degrees to the right, then the left.

I wouldn't recommend it to those with sea sickness, but it is exhilarating - I'm just glad that a 360-degree roll is out of the question. For now.

'The next one we're building should allow us to roll a lot quicker,' says Rob cheerfully. 'we're also trying to get those barrel [360-degree] rolls sorted.'

Operating the submersible is, says Rob, fairly easy, 'although you do need to have good spatial awareness. Unlike a boat where you have left and right, fast and slow, this is more like an aircraft. You have to think about pitch, roll and yaw.'

I am gripping the back of Rob's seat after a couple of minutes. But just when I think the worst is over, Rob yells: 'Now for the fun part - jumps!'
He pushes forward on the boat's joystick, we plunge a couple of feet under the water - the craft can remain submerged for 20 seconds - and for a moment we are enveloped by a watery blanket of silence; mercifully, Rob has turned off the Jaws soundtrack.


Menacing sight: The 'shark' performs a roll in the water. Its inventors hope to perfect later models capable of a barrel roll


But we don't stay under water for long. After gaining a bit of speed, Rob pulls back on the controls and we burst out of the water into the open air. I experience a rush (even if it is partly with fear) as we shoot out of the water like a cork popping out of a champagne bottle.

The downside comes when we hit the surface with a jarring thud.

There is, says Rob, 'a little timing involved' in perfecting the manoeuvre, which he performs a number of times. Each time he promises we won't go too high, only for us to fly more than 10ft into the air.

Rob and Dan are even working on a model which will be able to perform turns in mid-air and back flips.

The sight of the seabreacher emerging from the waves, foam crashing around its fins, is truly impressive. Whenever it or one of its submersible siblings - there is also a Seabreacher J, shaped like a dolphin - makes a public appearance, it always attracts a crowd of gawpers.

Each machine takes a team of seven people three months to build. And when you consider that this is just the ninth Seabreacher to be built by Innespace - and they have a further 31 on order - you realise how much time and energy they are devoting to their rather eccentric enterprise.

'We're not interested in making a mass-market product,' says Rob, 'just one-off pieces that we customise for each buyer.'

They recently custom-made one for a client in Dubai, for example, who wanted it with air conditioning.

As well as a stereo system, the Seabreacher Rob takes me out in is also fitted with a camera and - should the passenger get bored - a screen that allows them to play videogames.

So just how long does it take to master the controls of an artificial shark? While it is more difficult to drive than a conventional pleasure cruiser, Rob insists he can teach someone the basics in just three to four hours.

'One guy ended up doing a barrel roll when he wasn't supposed to,' says Rob, 'but no one's ever crashed one. They're pretty safe.'

A U.S. Navy research officer has even visited Innespace's North Carolina base to inspect their designs.

But Rob insists that the main reason they love their invention is that it is 'so impractical'.

'We'd eventually love to race them as a sport - but with the boats costing around £60,000, they're not something people can really afford to destroy. Basically we're just big on the silly factor,' grins Rob.

Rob is even hoping to drive the Seabreacher alongside some real sharks later this year, off the coast of South Africa or San Diego.

'It would be amazing to do the jump side-by-side with a real great white,' he says.

'But to be honest, I don't know if the sharks would come alongside the boat. It makes a real growly noise and isn't what you'd call stealthy. Sharks can be pretty shy.'

And the boys' next project? well, it's still shark-shaped. A hammerhead, to be precise.

So next time you think it's safe to go back in the water . . .

For more information, visit www.seabreacher.com

[endtext]

Street artist braves deadly Moscow smog to create amazing 3D waterfall on capital's streets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_-EbJ7RLE4endofvid
[starttext]
By Charlotte Vowden

Plunging: The pavement outside a Moscow mall has been transformed into a realistic waterfall scene


Street artist Edgar Mueller has spent three 'terrifying' days transforming a Moscow pavement into a jaw-dropping waterfall scene.

The world renowned artist from Germany used acrylic paints to create the 3D artwork, which is the first project of his new series named Unconditional Love.

Passers-by have enjoyed stepping into the realistic scene which can be viewed in 3D through a specially-built lens.

Mueller decided to work outside a mall in Moscow despite the choking smog from forest fires that are raging near the city.

He described the experience as 'almost unbearable'.

Mueller said on his website: 'The media reported on the disaster that was caused there by the forest and peat fires.


Work in progress: Edgar Mueller, front middle, and his team take a break from working on the 3D street painting. It took them three days to complete the project


'I decided nevertheless to fly to Moscow, which I have to admit was somewhat naive.
'The conditions that we found there were terrifying.

'On the way to the hotel I was already wondering whether we should quickly take the next plane home - away from here! The air was intolerable.'


Illusion: Passers-by use a specially designed lens to view the scene in 3D


Toxic: A forest fire outside Moscow at the weekend as lethal smog descends on the Russian capital


Mueller worked from early morning and had to wear a face mask to protect himself from dust in the air.

At times he had to retreat indoors due to the carbon monoxide.

Mueller, who uses the ground as his canvas, added; 'I was fascinated by the surreal situation.

'The smog made the colours look pale and the horizon looked particularly blurred.'

Originally, the self-taught artist had planned to create a 'holiday scene' inspired by a trip in Croatia - but then decided it was no longer appropriate because of the situation in Moscow.

Mueller has previously painted a giant waterfall in Canada and a stunning cave in London.



source :dailymail

[endtext]

3D Express Coach: The Chinese bus that solves traffic jams by letting you drive UNDERNEATH it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb61PbhVYQYendofvid

[starttext]

By Niall Firth

The 3d Express Coach lets vehicles drive underneath and will cut traffic jams by 30%, its designers claim


It's certainly one way to beat the traffic.

Named the '3D Express Coach', this innovative design was proposed by engineering firm Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment as an answer to the China's overcrowded roads.

The bus will allow cars drive underneath while the upper level is carrying passengers.

The design is for an electric bus that is almost 15 feet high and solar-powered. It will be able to travel at speeds of up to 37mph but will be able to carry as many as 1400 passengers at one time.

Unveiled at the 13th Beijing International High-tech Expo in May, the design firm behind it say that it will reduce traffic jams by up to 30 per cent.

While it will cost 500 million yuan (4.6 million) to build the bus and the tracks along which it will run, the firm claims this is only 10 per per cent of the cost of an equivalent subway system.


The huge bus will be able to carry up to 1,400 passengers at a time


Song Youzhou, chairman of Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment, gave a presentation on the '3D Express Coach' at the Expo and said that any cars that drove too close to the bus would automatically set off an alarm.

Cars driving underneath the bus' arch would be warned as they drive when it was about to make a turn.

Radar scanners inside the bus would also warn cars if they were driving to close to the bus' wheels.

The 3D bus would use an inflatable escape ladder similar to on passenger aircraft in the case of emergencies, Mr Youzhou said.

A pilot scheme for the bus will take place in Beijing’s Mentougou District, with construction on the first 186km of track due to begin at the end of this year.




source: dailymail
[endtext]