LuminAR Bulb transforms any surface into a touch screen

Welcome to the newsletter for Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for December the 10th, 2012. LuminAR Bulb transforms any surface into a touch screen We've all seen gigantic touch screens on the news or in movies, but what if you could achieve the same type of interface by simply replacing the bulb in your desk lamp? That's the idea behind the LuminAR, developed by a team led by Natan Linder at the MIT Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces Group. It combines a Pico-projector, camera, and wireless computer to project interactive images onto any surface - and is small enough to screw into a standard light fixture. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile 2014 Subaru Forester has new looks, more content The Subaru Forester officially moved to its fourth generation at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The redesigned crossover packs a new, 250-hp BOXER turbo, more features, more space and a restyled body. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Aeroscraft dirigible airship prototype approaches completion The dirigible airship, the oddball aircraft of another era, is making a comeback. California-based Aeros Corporation has created a prototype of its new breed of variable buoyancy aircraft and expects the vehicle to be finished before the end of 2012. With its new cargo handling technology, minimum fuel consumption, vertical take-off and landing features and point to point delivery, the Aeroscraft platform promises to revolutionize airship technology. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Collector selling every US Super Nintendo game for $25,000 A well known collector in the video game community is putting his complete US Super Nintendo collection up for sale at an asking price of US$25,000 ... but he is accepting other offers. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Sky Stack semi-invisible chimney A disused smoke stack in the town of Kassel, more or less at the very heart of Germany, has undergone a peculiar transformation. Glance up at the tower and the you will be met by the disarming sight of alternating floating and missing sections of chimney stack, courtesy of a bold intervention, named Sky Stack, by asdfg Architekten. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Original Batmobile to go under the hammer In the past few years, not only has the Corvette-like Batmobile from Batman Returns been put up for auction, but a jet-powered replica of that same style of Batmobile has also been created. A drivable copy of the Dark Knight-era Tumbler has likewise been built, along with a working replica of the associated Bat Pod motorcycle. For many people, however, the only "true" Batmobile is the original version driven by Adam West in the 1960s TV series – and it's about to be put on the auction block, for the first time ever. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Bulgarian innovation: Bicycle pants and inflatable snowshoes from Any Exit Pants and bicycles aren't the most natural partners. But maybe that's because there is a lack of pants that both play nice with pedals and chains and don't put the silhouette of your genitals on display for the world to see. The new Small Foot pant is a bicycle-specific pant that attempts to do that and more. They're the latest design from a company also responsible for an innovative pair of snowshoes. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Tinkerbrick turns an iPhone into a working Lego piece In recent years, Legos have gained a reputation as much more than just a child's toy. Almost everything from motorized wheelchairs to robots that forge bones can be assembled from the iconic plastic blocks. Now with the TinkerBrick case, you can actually connect your iPhone or iPod touch to any Lego piece to build interactive toys, useful attachments, and much more. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Disney World celebrates new park expansion with mechanical flying dragon At the recent grand opening for Disney World's new theme park expansion, New Fantasyland, spectators were greeted with a visit from a surprise guest: a giant, fire-breathing dragon. From the ground, onlookers watched as the mechanical beast soared through the sky, flapping its wings, roaring as it moved its head, and shooting fireworks out of its mouth. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile The best iPad apps of 2012 This year was a big one for the iPad. In March, it got a Retina Display. In November, it started a family as the iPad mini joined a faster 4th-generation iPad. Along the way, the App Store's tally of iPad apps grew to over 275,000. Which of those new apps stood out? Read on, as we break down the best iPad apps of 2012. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Jaguar introduces its fastest, most powerful sedan ever After pulling the cloth off the Jaguar F-Type for the first time on North American turf, Jaguar turned stage left and rolled the second member of its R-S ultra high-performance model line out of a makeshift garage door at the 2012 LA Auto Show. The "S" version of the XFR borrows features from the XKR-S and F-TYPE in Jaguar's attempt to take the sporty sedan to the next level. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Micro Luggage lets travelers scoot through the airport The Micro Luggage from Swiss company Micro Mobility is designed to help with that last minute dash to the boarding gate. Either that or it will attract the attention of airport security so that you miss your flight all together – provided they can catch you. Either way, the luggage, which combines a wheeled suitcase with a micro scooter, is sure to turn heads in the departure lounge. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile TrackingPoint precision guided rifles decide when to take their own best shot TrackingPoint, Inc., a new precision guided rifle development company operating out of Austin, Texas, has developed breakthrough technology that claims to put jet fighter lock-and-launch technology onto a combat rifle, making sniper-level accuracy available to the average shooter. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Subaru SHARC takes out 2012 LA Design Challenge Subaru's SHARC (Subaru Highway Automated Response Concept) has taken out the 2012 LA Design Challenge. The futuristic concept car was chosen by the judges as the best embodiment of the "Highway Patrol Vehicle 2025." Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Scientists copy structure of cork to produce 3D blocks of graphene Imagine how limiting it would be if steel, wood or plastic only existed in the form of thin sheets. Well, that's been the case so far when it comes to graphene. While its incredible strength and high conductivity make it very useful in things like semiconductors, batteries and solar cells, there's no doubt that it would be even more useful if it could be produced in three-dimensional blocks. Scientists at Australia's Monash University have now managed to do just that – by copying the structure of cork. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile CyPhy Works' UAVs use ground-based power to stay aloft indefinitely Endurance is one of the biggest limiting factors of UAVs. To stay airborne longer, Boeing has turned to hydrogen to fuel its Phantom Eye, Qinetiq's Zephyr relies on solar power and Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk can refuel autonomously in mid-air. But CyPhy Works has taken a different approach with its first UAVs. By connecting to a ground-based power source via a "microfilament," the UAVs are able to stay aloft indefinitely. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Voyager 1 gets a taste of interstellar space Voyager 1 has reached yet another new frontier on its historic journey towards the edge of our solar system. NASA scientists believe this "magnetic highway" represents the final region the spacecraft must cross before becoming the first man-made object to reach interstellar space, an event they are guessing could be as close as a couple of months away. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Wii U: Should you buy one? Depending on where you live, the Wii U has been out a few days, a couple of weeks, or is yet to be released. Regardless, you may be wondering whether to invest 300 to 400 Earth credits on Nintendo's latest offering. Having sunk several hours into playing with the console, here are a few thoughts that might help you decide. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile MVRDV unveils plan for supertall "vertical Jakarta" "Vertical city" is not a new descriptor for supertall skyscrapers that combine housing with retail, offices, leisure and goodness knows what else. But it's something of a surprise to see it applied to Peruri 88, which, as we have come to expect from Dutch architectural practice MVRDV, features as many horizontal, skewed, slantwise and sloping lines as it does vertical. That said, with a tower that will top out at 400 m (1,312 ft), it will comfortably join the ranks of the supertall. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile First of four autonomous Wave Glider robots successfully crosses Pacific ocean Last November, a fleet of four small autonomous Wave Glider aquatic robots set out from San Francisco to sail across the Pacific ocean. They reached Hawaii this March, at which point they parted ways – as according to plan, one pair struck out for Japan, while the other two headed for Australia. Today, it was announced that the first of the two Australia-bound Wave Gliders has reached its destination, setting a new world record for the longest distance traveled by an autonomous vehicle. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Snowbull sled takes skiing lying down Traditionally the domain of small children celebrating a snow day, sledding is slowly working its way up to a serious snow sport akin to skiing. About a month ago, we covered the US$3,000 Snolo Stealth-X carbon fiber sled, and now we have another high-tech sled built for serious downhillers. The Snowbull is an Austrian-designed sled that uses high-tech components for a sharp, fast ride. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Review: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 Compact cameras have been struggling recently, many people choose to use a smartphone for their picture-taking requirements, while more demanding photographers opt for a mirrorless or DSLR camera. But packing a large 1-inch-type sensor into its otherwise compact body, the Sony RX100 could offer enough of a boost to image quality to justify a spot in your pocket. I spent a bit of time with the compact powerhouse to find out if it does. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at http://www.gizmag.com. If you would like to switch to our daily newsletter, click here If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here to unsubscribe. COPYRIGHT GIZMAG (C) 2012