University of Oxford develops low-cost self-driving car system

Welcome to the newsletter for Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for February the 19th, 2013. University of Oxford develops low-cost self-driving car system Oxford University's Mobile Robotics Group (MRG) has developed an autonomous navigation system for cars at a build cost of only £5,000 (US$7,700). Installed in a production Nissan LEAF, the robot car uses off the shelf components and is designed to take over driving while traveling on frequently used routes. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Samsung Galaxy S4 release date confirmed? The Galaxy S IV is coming. This we've known for a while. What wasn't so clear was exactly when Samsung would reveal the successor to the world's most popular Android device. Today we appear to have the answer, as multiple sources are pointing to an announcement coming in less than a month. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Affordable net zero: foam in, air conditiong out By prioritizing energy minimization, and taking a pragmatic approach to materials and insulation, client Dr. Jung Soik and architect Yang Soo-in of Lifethings were able to construct a net zero energy house, or one that produces more energy than it uses, on a reasonable (if not meager) budget. Upon completion, Dr. Jung had spent US$284,000 on Sosoljip, the house which now stands at a fishing village four hours to the south of Seoul, South Korea. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile New Nissan Note gets technology injection Nissan has released details of a technology-focused update to its Note model in Europe ahead of a debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Scientists propose destroying asteroids with sun-powered laser array This past Friday was not a good day for asteroid-human relations with asteroid 2012 DA14 passing a mere 27,700 km (17,200 miles) from the Earth just a few hours after a meteor exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, damaging hundreds of buildings and injuring thousands. Scientists have been quick to point out that both of these events – a meteor exploding over a populated area and a large asteroid passing through Earth's geosynchronous orbit – are quite rare, but when the worst case scenario is the complete annihilation of all life on Earth, it's probably best to be prepared. That's why researchers in California recently proposed DE-STAR – a system which could potentially harness the sun's energy to dissolve wayward space rocks up to ten times larger than 2012 DA14 with a vaporizing laser. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Computer modeling points to new class of efficient, ultra-thin solar cells Researchers from the Vienna University of Technology, together with colleagues from the U.S. and Germany, have used computer simulations to show how the unique electrical properties of a new class of materials known as layered oxide heterostructures can potentially be used to create a new type of efficient, ultra-thin solar cell. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Honda takes aim at novice market with new CTX motorcycles Honda has introduced the first two motorcycles of its new CTX (Comfort, Technology and eXperience) series. The 2014 CTX700 and its siblings (CTX700N, CTX700D, and CTX700ND) are variations of the company's 2012 NC700 model which was designed mainly as reliable, inexpensive bikes for new riders. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Low-impact pavilion reflects its natural environment Architectural firm Jesus Torres Garcia has created a stunning multi-purpose pavilion that seeks to minimize impact on the environment, both by aesthetically blending with the surrounding landscape and through the use of passive solar design and unconventional construction methods. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Helite readies wearable skiing airbag for 2014 Winter Olympics We've been following the progression of the ski airbag from Italian company Dainese for over a year. It turns out Dainese will have some competition from its neighbors in France. Helite, a company that specializes in equestrian airbag vests, is developing its own protective skiing airbag. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Argus II becomes first "bionic eye" to gain approval for sale in U.S. While the word prosthesis usually evokes images of artificial legs, arms, and these days even sophisticated thought-controlled hands, an entirely new class of replacement body part has now become a reality – the bionic eye. One of the pioneers in this field is California-based Second Sight and the company has now announced that its Argus II System has received U.S. market approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Hydrosleeve hydration armband offers refreshment on the run Carrying a bottle of refreshing water with you on long runs can be an awkward affair. Kenmark Sports attempted to make hydration-on-the-go a little easier last year with its Armband Water Bottle, but it still looks to be a rather bulky, cumbersome and sloshy option. Justin Lynch has designed a new slimline runner-specific hydration system called the Hydrosleeve that allows runners to hydrate without breaking stride, while also taking care of the sloshing issue. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Dr. Watson goes to work IBM's Watson supercomputer has long held out the promise of being a partner in our endeavors rather than simply being a better search engine. Now an improved version of Watson has joined the oncology staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile The Beercade machine rewards winners with free beer Video games and beer have been a time-honored combination ever since the first bar installed a Pong machine. We've seen both standard and racing-style arcade machines with kegs built right into them, but never one that actually rewards gaming skill with a tasty beverage. That's where the Beercade comes in. Developed for Big Boss Brewing, the Beercade machine is a fighting game that takes cups instead of quarters and dispenses free beer to the winning player. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile The Casple-Podadera city car knows when to fold 'em Somewhere between a steroids-infused shopping cart and a smart car exists the ever-so-tiny Casple-Podadera city car. With parking spaces at a premium in most European cities, the need to condense vehicles into tighter and tighter spaces is becoming an ever increasing economic and spatial concern. So unlike other inner-city cars, the cumbersomely named Spanish transporter brings with it a unique folding characteristic. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Game Review: ZombiU for Wii U The zombiepocalypse has long been fertile ground for video game developers and Ubisoft is keeping the undead-bashing good times rolling with ZombiU, a first-person survival horror launch title for the Wii U. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile German military increases order for Gladius "future soldier" system The Rheinmetall Group has been awarded an €84 million (US$112 million) contract to supply a further sixty of its modular Gladius "future soldier" systems to the German Federal Defense Force. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile World premiere for "Gloria" concept saloon in Geneva Another debut to look forward to at next month's Geneva Motor Show has surfaced in the form of "Gloria" – a sleek, luxury saloon concept born from a collaboration between between the European Design Institute (IED) of Turin and the Alfa Romeo Style Centre. Gloria is part of IED's educational program aimed at producing the car designers of tomorrow and like the Alfa Romeo 4C, the design has been penned with the American market mind. 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