University of Cambridge debuts virtual talking head capable of expressing human emotions

Welcome to the newsletter for Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for March the 20th, 2013. University of Cambridge debuts virtual talking head capable of expressing human emotions The University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has unveiled a virtual "talking head" that is capable of expressing a range of human emotions. The team believes that the lifelike face, called Zoe, is the most expressive controllable avatar ever created, and could one day be used as a digital personal assistant. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Fornasari's Zagato-like Gigi 311 Sports Car Off-kilter boutique auto-maker Fornasari brought to light its latest design venture this past month in Geneva – the Gigi 311 GT. Shown as what appears to be a rolling chassis only the Gigi 311 is promoted as a performance GT with full customization options. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Tiny, personal blood testing laboratory gets under your skin Blood tests usually involve drawing some blood out of the body. Now scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed an implant that allows blood to be analyzed from within the body, with results then transmitted wirelessly to a computer. While still at the experimental stage, the device could make it easier for health care providers to monitor the chronically ill and provide more personalized treatment to cancer patients. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter sees GRAIL's lunar impact NASA has released images and findings from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which witnessed the impact of NASA's twin GRAIL (Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory) spacecraft as they struck the Moon near the North Pole in a controlled impact on Dec.17, 2012. The unmanned orbiter sent back before and after images of the impact sites and used its Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) instrument to study the plume of dust and gas thrown up by the double impact, producing new insights into the processes going on in the interior of the Moon. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Hitachi's ROPITS is a tablet-controlled self-driving urban vehicle Toyota, Honda, and General Motors have been toying with the concept of eco-friendly single-seater urban vehicles over the past few years, and Hitachi has taken notice. Although it may look like a miniature car, Hitachi's ROPITS is more like a robotic wheelchair designed to assist people with difficulty walking (i.e. Japan's growing elderly population). The key difference is that – unlike the concept vehicles demonstrated by the auto makers – ROPITS drives itself. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile FAA grants Arlington Police Department permission to fly UAVs Starting in April, 2013, the Arlington Texas police department will have permission from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to fly two small helicopter UAVs over the city in certain situations, including taking crime scene photos or looking for missing persons. While these UAVs have been operating for some time, until now flights have been restricted to remote testing area. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. Galaxy Note 2 During the last two years, smartphones have ballooned to gigantic proportions. The most obvious example is Samsung's "phablet," the Galaxy Note. But even the company's standard high-end phone, the Galaxy S4, dwarfs phones from yesteryear. Torn between big and really big? Read on, as we compare Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note II. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile SRT lets the limited edition Viper "Time Attack" out of its cage Chrysler primed the all-new SRT Viper for production a few short months ago. Now it's preemptively answering calls for more performance with the Viper TA, a limited edition road-legal package that enhances performance with track-inspired upgrades. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile BikeSpike GPS tracker improves chances of recovering a stolen bike Bicycles are a notoriously easy target for thieves, but technology is here to help in the form of a new device that promises to help cyclists safeguard their property and recover it if stolen. Currently seeking funds on KickStarter, the Chicago-based BikeSpike team has designed a GPS tracker that features a built-in antenna, an on-board accelerometer and a connection to a GSM mobile phone network that allows users to keep tabs on their bike via a smartphone or computer. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Fujitsu uses facial imaging to measure pulse Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a technology to measure a person's pulse from a facial image taken by scans from the built-in camera in a PC, smartphone or tablet. Fujitsu's goal is to help people to track their health data in real-time and store it in the cloud for later analysis. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Kidtrack biometric system keeps track of kids on school buses A lot of parents worry when their kids first start taking the school bus by themselves. What if they're snatched from the bus stop? What if they get off at the wrong stop? What if the bus is hijacked? Well, while the Kidtrack system can't keep any of those things from happening, it can at least keep track of which children are on which buses, and where. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile MonkeyOh docks and charges iPhone and iPod touch while hiding cord clutter Designed to work with Apple's power adapter, the MonkeyOh gets rid of cable clutter while also functioning as a versatile stand for iPhone and iPod touch. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Agilite Gear develops hands-free medical stretcher After introducing a hands-free "human backpack", Israeli tactical gear manufacturer Agilite is back with a hands-free solution that allows injured troops to lie flat and be carried to safety. Unlike other stretchers that keep the hands occupied, the FlatEvac sets both hands free. Troops are able to handle their weapons, navigation instruments and other tools while simultaneously carrying their injured battle mate. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile ATLANTE UAS makes its maiden flight As of the end of last month, there's a new drone aircraft in the skies – over Spain, at least. The ATLANTE Unmanned Aerial System is the product of a program run by the Spanish Centre for Industrial Technological Development. It made its first flight on February 28th, at the Rozas airfield in the Spanish city of Lugo. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile British fleet's new radar system can detect a supersonic tennis ball 25 km away If you've ever worried about the threat from supersonic tennis balls, then BAE Systems' Artisan medium-range Type 997 3D surveillance radar should put you at ease – it can detect one traveling at Mach 3 (1,980 mph, 3,186 km/h) at a distance of 25 kilometers (15.5 mi). The new radar, developed for the Royal Navy's Type 23 Duke-class frigates, is designed to simultaneously detect 900 targets smaller than a bird, against background noise equivalent to 10,000 mobile phone signals at ranges from 200 meters (656 ft) to 200 kilometers (124 mi). Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile APP suspense film incorporates a second screen – the viewer's smartphone Notable exceptions aside, it's generally agreed upon that it's improper to check one's smartphone while watching a movie in a theater. The new Dutch thriller APP, however, encourages viewers to do so. The film's soundtrack contains a digital audio "watermark" – inaudible to human hearing – that causes exclusive supplemental content to appear on smartphones running the APP app. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile DNA-inspired twisting Agora Garden underway in Taipei City Construction on this unusual twisting tower, named Agora Garden, in Taipei City recently began, according to its designer Vincent Callebaut Architecte. The trademark twist was inspired by the double helix of the DNA molecule. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile MuzaMoto turn indicators move to the end of the bars Rather than awkwardly jutting out from somewhere near the front forks on a motorcycle, Jon Ostojic has created a set of turn indicators that attach to ends of the handlebar. Undeniably stylish, the MuzaMoto Turn Signals provide all-round visibility thanks to front-, rear-, side- and bottom-facing LEDs. A bolt-on version is also available for front or rear mounting. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile "Like a Houseboat" home floats above former landfill on steel stilts Alongside the use of sustainable building materials, and innovative energy-saving techniques, another step in reducing a new home's impact on the environment can be to build upon land once considered undesirable for human habitation. The "Like a Houseboat" property by Shipley Architects ticks all three boxes, with steel stilts enabling the single-family residence to be built upon poor-quality soil once home to a landfill. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Evolution in action: Roadkill breeds birds with shorter wings The American cliff swallow is best known for its yearly migration between North and South America, traditionally resulting in the annual return of the swallows to Mission San Juan Capistrano in Southern California on March 19. Now it seems they also provide a lesson in the workings of natural selection. A three-decade long study carried out by a husband and wife ornithological team in western Nebraska has, thanks to long years of carefully recording all available data, shown that roadkill has exerted a selective advantage on swallows with shorter wingspans. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile World's first robotic LEGO band makes its debut We've seen some impressive creations that use LEGO pieces to make music in the past, from a drum machine sequencer to a Star Wars-themed barrel organ. More recently though, Italian music producer Giuseppe Acito decided to take the inevitable next step and build a fully working band using the little plastic bricks. The "Toa Mata Band" is made up of several tiny robotic LEGO figures programmed to play a variety of instruments. Read on Desktop or Read on Mobile Samsung confirms it's making a smart watch Now that Apple's TV set appears to be anything but "imminent," we expect the company's next big innovation to be a wearable wrist computer. But Apple's fierce rival, Samsung, wants the world to know that it too is cooking up some wearable fun, in the form of a Samsung smart watch. 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 weekly newsletter, click here If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here to unsubscribe. COPYRIGHT GIZMAG (C) 2013