NASA's AR headset lets pilots see through fog

NASA Langley researcher Kevin Shelton wearing an early prototype

NASA has developed a pair of augmented reality glasses designed especially for commercial airline pilots to see during the worst visual conditions. The glasses include a heads-up display showing a virtual overlay of the runway and airport, head tracking technology, and voice controls - features that may help pilots keep their eyes where they're most needed.

Peoples' immune systems can now be duplicated in mice

Scientists have developed a method of duplicating an individual person's unique immune system, within a mouse

Because everyone’s immune system is different, it’s impossible to predict with absolute certainty how any given person will react to a specific medication. In the not-too-distant future, however, at-risk patients may get their own custom-altered mouse, with an immune system that’s a copy of their own. Medications could be tried out on the mouse first, and if it showed no adverse reactions, then the person could receive them. If the person had an autoimmune disease, the mouse could also provide valuable insight into its treatment. A team led by Columbia University Medical Center’s Dr. Megan Sykes has recently developed a method of creating just such a “personalized immune mouse.”

Arsenal Firearms' Double Barrel Pistol shoots two bullets at once

One full payload from the AF2011-A1 can deliver in three seconds what would take a regular 9mm pistol almost ten times as long to fire, including reloading

It's been a popular design for shotguns for over a century, so why not handguns? With a design that looks like two guns were melted together, the new handgun from Arsenal Firearms is definitely a handful. Thanks to the gun's dual barrels though, the AF2011-A1 Double Barrel Pistol is capable of firing 16 rounds in a span of three seconds by shooting two bullets at the same time.

World's smallest production car gets a new lease on life

Originally manufactured in the 1960's, the world's smallest ever production car, the Peel P50 (right) and it's stablemate, the Trident (left) are getting a limited production run with updated power plants

The quest for more fuel-efficient vehicles has seen a shift from the gas-guzzling behemoths of yesteryear to smaller and smaller cars, such as the Volkswagen up! and Toyota iQ. The smallest currently in production is the Tata Nano that measures just 122 inches (309.9 cm) long and 58.9 inches (223 cm) wide. But for the world’s smallest ever production car you’d have to look back to the early 1960’s and the Peel P50, which measured just 54 inches (137 cm) long and 41 inches (104.1 cm) wide, and weighed 130 lb (59 kg). Now replicas of the P50 -and its bigger brother, the Peel Trident - are getting a limited production run and will be offered with a choice of gasoline or electric powerplants.

New Belkin devices add camera-like functionality to iPhones

Belkin's LiveAction Camera Grip provides iPhones with an ergonomic handle, and a shutter release button

Although it’s been suggested that point-and-shoot digital cameras could be made obsolete by smartphones, there’s at least one thing that’s still better about stand-alone cameras – they have an ergonomic grip (or at least, some of them do), and a good ol’ fuss-free shutter release button. Belkin’s LiveAction Camera Grip device, however, is designed to add these features to the iPhone. The company has also released the LiveAction Camera Remote, which brings the same push-button functionality to a remote-control device.

SpaceX gets astronauts to try out its Dragon crew cabin

The trial crew (from left): NASA Crew Survival Engineering Team Lead Dustin Gohmert, NASA Astronaut Tony Antonelli, NASA Astronaut Lee Archambault, SpaceX Mission Operations Engineer Laura Crabtree, SpaceX Thermal Engineer Brenda Hernandez, NASA Astronaut Rex Walheim, and NASA Astronaut Tim Kopra

With the space shuttle program now officially over, the United States needs a new reusable vehicle for getting supplies to and from the International Space Station. NASA is considering the Dragon spacecraft, designed by California-based SpaceX Exploration Technologies, to take over that role. The Dragon’s scheduled late March/early April test flight to the ISS will be unmanned, utilizing a cargo configuration of the spacecraft. Last Friday, however, SpaceX released photographs of an engineering model of of its planned seven-passenger crew cabin, complete with a crew that included real live astronauts.

Nokia 808 PureView packs a 41-megapixel camera

The Nokia 808 PureView is a new smartphone with an astounding 41-megapixel image sensor

At this week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia announced the 808 PureView, a smartphone with an astounding 41-megapixel image sensor. The Nokia 808 will be the first smartphone by Nokia to include its new PureView imaging technology, which combines a high-resolution sensor with Carl Zeiss optics and Nokia-developed algorithms.

Sandwich structure enables cheaper, more efficient hydrogen fuel cells

UCF Professor Sergey Stolbov who has created cheaper, more efficient hydrogen fuel cells using a sandwich-like structure

For the predicted hydrogen economy to become a reality, fuel cells must become more efficient and cost effective. Researchers from the University of Central Florida (UCF) claim to have addressed both these problems by creating a sandwich-like structure that allows more abundant materials to be used as catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells.

iBaby monitor offers swiveling baby-watching action

iBaby is an iPhone-controlled baby monitor, which can be remotely panned and tilted

People like their smartphones and, well, they also tend to like their babies – so, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that we’re seeing an increasing number of baby monitors that transmit live video to parents’ phones. Recent examples have included the Smart Baby Monitor and BabyPing. The Apple device-based iBaby is the latest such system, although it’s notable in that instead of just offering a locked-off shot, the camera can be remotely panned and tilted.

Subaru begins production on BRZ and Toyota GT 86 sports cars

Subaru and Toyota celebrated the beginning of production last Friday

More than six years ago, Subaru and Toyota entered into a cooperative agreement. In 2009, that relationship bore its first concept - the Toyota FT-86. Both automakers showed the production versions of their respective sports cars last year, and Subaru has officially kicked off production on the models. In about two more months, car buyers will be able to get their hands on them.

Desktop-sized CT scanner created as a teaching aid

DeskCAT is a miniature visible-light CT scanner, designed for use in medical school classrooms

When you're learning how to use a complex device, there’s nothing like getting some hands on play time. When it comes to CT (Computed Tomography) scanners, however, it’s often difficult to find a time when they’re not being used on patients. That’s why two biophysics professors at Canada’s Western University invented the DeskCAT. It’s a miniature CT scanner that’s small enough to sit on a desk, so it can be used in medical school classrooms.

Study suggests mobile phone use during pregnancy may cause ADHD in offspring

A study suggest mobile phone use by pregnant mothers can affect fetuses

While there have been – and continue to be – numerous studies examining the effects of radiation from mobile phones on users, Yale School of Medicine researchers have looked at the possible effects on fetuses of mobile phone use by pregnant mothers. According to the study, mobile phone radiation exposure in the womb can affect the brain development of offspring and potentially lead to behavioral disorders such as hyperactivity.

Skydiving from 71,500 feet: Red Bull Stratos test jump a success

Felix Baumgartner stares down the barrel of the first test jump in the Red Bull Stratos project

Daring Austrian base-jumper and skydiver Felix Baumgartner is aiming to break a record that has stood for almost 52 years. In fact he is aiming to break four long established records, starting with world's highest manned balloon flight (120,000 feet or 36,576 meters) highest skydive (currently 102,000 feet ) and the longest freefall, which may well see him break the sound barrier as he plummets for nearly 23 miles (37 km) towards Earth. Last week Baumgartner jumped from 71,581 feet in the first manned flight test by the Red Bull Stratos project, but to reach its ultimate goal the team must beat Joe Kittinger's record for the highest freefall set in August, 1960.

Seagate demonstrates HAMR hard drive technology that promises 60 TB HDDs

Seagate has achieved a milestone 1 terabit per square inch storage density using heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology

Despite solid state drives increasing in capacity in recent years, the humble platter-based 3.5-inch hard drive still reigns supreme as the data storage device to beat in terms of bits for your buck. But if traditional drives are going to meet user’s ever-increasing data storage demands they will need to improve on the maximum 620 gigabits per square inch storage densities currently possible in platter based 3.5-inch drives. That’s just what Seagate has demonstrated with new technology that has achieved a milestone storage density of 1 terabit per square inch.

JuiceTank iPhone cover integrates collapsible wall charger

The JuiceTank iPhone case's integrated, collapsible electrical plug eliminates the need for a charging cable

When you think of wireless charging, the JuiceTank iPhone case probably isn't what springs to mind. The new smartphone case from phone accessory maker, Dedicated, features a collapsible electrical plug on the back that fits into any North American wall socket. Connecting the JuiceTank case to a phone not only gives it solid protection without much bulk, but also ensures you'll always have a "cordless" charger with you.

3D solar cells could be integrated into solar roof tiles

Solar3D will examine the potential for its 3D solar cells to be used in solar roof tiles

Home owners looking to embrace solar but concerned about the effect slabs of solar panels will have on the look of their house may soon have an option that blends the old with the new. California-based company Solar3D has announced it is conducting a study to explore the potential for integrating its solar cells directly into roof tiles. While conventional solar cells aren’t really suitable for roof tiles due to their fixed orientation, Solar3D believes its 3D solar cell technology could make such a product feasible.

Citroen's 1955 DS set for reprise with DS6

Teaser shot from Citroen's Facebook page

Teaser shots have appeared on Citroen's Facebook page for a new as-yet-unnamed vehicle. The French giant has successfully reprised its successful DS name into a whole series - so far we have the DS3, DS4 and DS5.

Researcher spins spider silk into violin strings

By twisting thousands of strands together, a Japanese researcher has managed to form working violin strings from spider silk

Spider silk is turning out to be a remarkably versatile material. Aside from having a higher heat conductivity than any other organic matter and proteins for inserting genes into cells, strings from a spider have also been found to have a very high tensile strength. One researcher in Japan has studied this property of spider silk for decades, and recently unveiled a new application for it by weaving together thousands of strands of spider filaments and using them as violin strings.

The fold-up fishing hut with walls of ice

Unavailability is an achingly simple piece of design, functioning as a folding fishing hut with walls of ice

Simply called Unavailability, this achingly simple piece of design is a one-man wooden-framed fold-up fishing hut with chicken wire-mesh walls that can be packed with ice by the user to keep out the wind while letting in light.

Winner announced for 2012 Millenium Yacht Design Award

The Allochroous is the 'Dream Boat' winner of the 9th Millennium Yacht Design Award

The Allochroous is the Dream Boat category winner of the 9th Millennium Yacht Design Award (MYDA), an international competition for yacht designers around the world. Conceptualized by beginner entrants Ezgi Aksan and Ambra Ceronetti, Allochroous is a futuristic representation of what their dream yacht would be. Drawing upon innovative technologies, the key feature behind the concept is that the yacht is able to transform its functionality. The vision was to create a sustainable yacht that is ideal for enjoying a summer concert at sea.