USB 3.0 getting a speed boost to 10 Gbps

Welcome to the newsletter for Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for January the 7th, 2013. USB 3.0 getting a speed boost to 10 Gbps The USB 3.0 Promoter Group has used CES 2013 to announce an enhancement to the USB 3.0 (aka SuperSpeed USB) standard that will see the throughput performance of USB 3.0 double from 5 Gbps to 10 Gbps. The speed boost will come courtesy of enhanced USB connectors and cables that are fully backward compatible with existing USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 devices. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile "Superjet" variable cycle jet engine could power future fighter aircraft GE Aviation is developing a revolutionary new jet engine that aims to combine the best traits of turbojet and turbofan engines, delivering supersonic speed capability and fuel efficiency in one package. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Internet-connected light switch joins Belkin's WeMo line Belkin has expanded its line of WeMo branded home automation products with a switch that allows household lighting to be controlled remotely over the internet. The new WeMo Light Switch was announced at CES 2013 where Belkin also revealed that existing WeMo devices such as the WeMo Baby will be getting Android compatibility after previously only being compatible with iOS devices. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile GE Silent Scan turns down the volume on MRI scanners GE Healthcare has introduced a new data acquisition technology designed to improve patient comfort by largely eliminating the horrible noise generated during an MRI scan. Conventional MRI scanners can generate noise levels in excess of 110 dBA (creating a din that sounds like a cross between a vehicle's reverse warning horn and a Star Trek phaser) but GE says its new Silent Scan MRI technology can reduce this to just above background noise levels in the exam room. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile ShareKey smartphone app replaces your house keys Mobile phones have already swallowed up the average Joe's diary, compact camera, watch and Walkman. They're working on replacing the wallet as well – so the next logical step is to go hunting for the last remaining pocket-dwelling device they can gobble up in their mad fury of convergence – your keyring. Smart and secure door access apps and hardware have already sprung up using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi – now there's ShareKey, which uses NFC (near field communication) and aims to be the most secure of all systems. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Samsung announces NX300 mirrorless camera and 2D/3D lens Samsung has announced the NX300, its latest NX series mirrorless camera. In addition to a revamped 20.3MP APS-CMOS sensor, the NX300 features updated smart camera functionality and a new hybrid autofocus system. Also revealed was a compatible 45 mm f1.8 2D/3D lens which is said to be the first one-lens 3D system capable of capturing both stills and HD video. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Pavegen kinetic energy tiles seek crowd-funding for school installations "Create electricity, just by walking" is an evocative statement, and one which surely warrants some attention in these eco-efficient times when the need to seek alternative energy sources is well understood. Pavegen – a system for harvesting kinetic energy from foot traffic, and which the catchy soundbite belongs to – is now being put forward for crowd-funding through Kickstarter with the aim of raising enough money to fund two school projects, one in the U.S. and one in the U.K. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Would Apple really make an iPhone mini? For the last couple of years, analysts have waxed poetic about an iPhone mini. The logic is that Android's dominance of budget and emerging markets will "force" Apple to release the mythical budget iPhone. Is there anything to this, or is it just a bunch of hot air? Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Leap Motion's 3D motion control tech to be bundled with ASUS systems Having already joined the motion control party by partnering with PrimeSense, the company behind Microsoft's Kinect, ASUS is now partnering with Leap Motion, the company responsible for a sensor that enables full control of a PC or Mac using hand and finger gestures. The 3D motion control tech will be bundled with selected ASUS' high-end notebooks and All-in-One (AiO) PCs by the end of 2013. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Brain releases powerful, opiate-like painkiller in repsonse to electric stimulation Twenty to thirty percent of the world's population suffers from some sort of chronic pain, which is far more difficult to control than, say, the pain of a cut or bruise. A great deal of effort has gone into the search for medically acceptable ways to control such pain, with few good answers emerging. Now medical researchers at the University of Michigan have directly demonstrated that transcranial electrical stimulation of a patient's brain causes the release of a natural opiate that dulls or eliminates the perception of pain. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile MINI prepares to defend Dakar title Despite an available ALL4 all-wheel drive, the MINI Countryman isn't necessarily the most ideal car to take off road – unless of course it's outfitted for Dakar dominance. Last year's event saw the Countryman taking home the top spot and four other top-ten finishes, with the overall victory secured by French driver Stéphane Peterhansel in his 10th career Dakar win. The Monster X-Raid Team has prepared the Countryman to defend its strong performance at last year's Dakar Rally . Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Barbercan robotic revolving doors isolate threats The recent tragic shootings at Newtown, Connecticut underlines the importance of proper security and how a lapse can have horrific results. Part of the problem is that not only are many security doors inadequate, but they act as bottlenecks for traffic. Now Barbecan Security Systems have patented the Barbecan LRD Portal – a security door system that acts like a combination of turnstile, revolving door and airlock. It's purpose is to provide sensitive areas with a secure entry that cannot be forced or circumvented, yet keeps traffic flowing smoothly. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Hiriko folding EV chosen for Berlin car-sharing program Last February, we reported on the Hiriko Fold electric car. The product of MIT's CityCar project, along with Denokinn (the Basque Center for Innovation) and a consortium of Spanish businesses, the tiny vehicle can actually tuck its rear end beneath its chassis – this allows it to fit into even the smallest of parking spaces. Recently, it was announced that a fleet of the cars will be used in a car-sharing program in Berlin. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Bike trailer transforms into a cargo dolly If something is big and/or heavy enough to transport on a bicycle trailer, then it's likely also unwieldy to carry by hand. Well, that's why the Convert was created. It's a bicycle trailer that can be converted into a cargo dolly. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile iRobot unveils Mirra 530 Pool Cleaning Robot iRobot is probably best known for its Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, Looj eavestrough-cleaning robot, and Scooba robotic floor cleaner. Owners of swimming pools, however, might also be familiar with the company's Verro pool-cleaning robots. Today, iRobot announced the launch of its latest and fanciest pool-bot, the Mirra 530. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile MIT students develop oneTesla self-build, music-playing Tesla coil kit Educational electronics kits like the one from Minty Geek are a great introduction to the world of circuit building and electronic tinkering, but are perhaps a little too basic for more advanced hobbyists. Three MIT students are currently enjoying enormous success on the Kickstarter crowd-funding platform with a DIY Tesla coil kit called oneTesla that can make artificial lightning sing ... well, erm, play music from a MIDI source. Now where did I put that polyphonic version of This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us by Sparks? Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile The 13 safest cars for 2013 The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its list of safest vehicles for the 2013 model year. In all, the list includes 117 cars that were awarded a Top Safety Pick. Thirteen cars were given the Top Safety Pick+ award, which is an even higher award for vehicle safety. These vehicles go deeper to bring a safer ride to drivers and passengers, and we're going to take a quick look at each one. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile KAIST develops new Wi-Fi indoor positioning system Researchers at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a new indoor positioning system that makes it possible to build a Wi-Fi radio map that does not require GPS signals. It's claimed to be an improvement on Wi-Fi Positioning Systems, that rely on both GPS and Wi-Fi signals. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Soundmatters outs pocket-friendly DASH 7 wireless soundbar Soundmatters has pulled the curtain back on a new diminutive wireless soundbar ahead of CES in Las Vegas next week. The foxL DASH 7 pocket-portable Bluetooth soundbar speaker system and noise-canceling speakerphone holds the promise of true high-fidelity sound in a package that – at just 0.7-inches (18 mm) tall and tipping the scales at just 7.1 ounces (201 g) – won't take up much room in the gadget bag at all. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Special promotion for Gizmag readers *Coding classes suck. However, there is a better and easier way to learn coding.* The demand for top-tier web development talent outweighs the supply in almost everywhere. While companies are desperately looking for development talent, the average web developer salary continues to climb. Luckily for you, the folks at Udemy have kindly offered their "Become a Certified Web Developer" online course to Gizmag subscribers for $99 instead of $199 -- (50% OFF) In this course you will learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and MySQL from master trainer Mark Lassoff, and upon completing the course, you will receive a certification signed by him. Don't miss this great offer, click here to get started. Read More 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 weekly newsletter, click here If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here to unsubscribe. COPYRIGHT GIZMAG (C) 2013