Well here’s a brilliant idea. A subsidiary of NEC called NEC Electronics, or NECEL for short, have developed a TV remote control that will never require you to change batteries, nor will it ever run out of power. Every time a couch potato picks up the remote and pushes any of the buttons, the vibrations of those motions generates a small amount of electricity which is enough to perform basic TV remote operations like changing the channel or adjusting the volume. The remote, or at least its power unit, is being developed in conjunction with another company called Soundpower, and instead of it just being a research project, the companies intend for the technology to hopefully hit the market in the next couple of years.

[ NEC Electronics Battery-Less Remote ] VIA [ Asiajin ]

Designed by Jiae Kwon, Map-Holes are replacement man-hole covers that serve as a sort of static compass for tourists and pedestrians, showing them what direction to head to find a particular landmark in the city they’re visiting, and letting them know how long it takes to walk there. The idea definitely has merit, but I don’t think replacing man-hole covers is the ideal solution. Not only because they usually exist in the middle of a street, but they’d also have to be perfectly oriented in order for them to be effective. If one gets even slightly misaligned, there’s going to be a lot of misguided tourists.

[ Yanko Design - Map Hole Points The Way ] VIA [ The UberReview ]

As if breaking your foot or ankle wasn’t already painful enough, having to hobble around on a pair of crutches for weeks just adds insult to injury, literally. Unless you manage to get your hands on one of these Freedom Legs from Forward Mobility. Made from lightweight composite materials it allows you to walk on your injured leg by off-loading the weight to your thigh. There’s no pressure on your injured foot or ankle like when using crutches, but the Freedom Leg lets you stay mobile without tying up your hands and arms and it keeps the injured leg in use during the recovery period, reducing the atrophe of the leg muscles.

[ Freedom Leg ] VIA [ Medgadget ]

Article courtesy of John Beck, from The Processor.

Good news for sedentary sports fans with frustrated aspirations of grandeur. Thanks to the wonders of technology (and UK-based firm Real Time Race) they should now be able to take part in some of the worlds biggest sporting spectacles. Well, kind of.

The basic concept is designed to allow gamers to take a virtual place in real environments and events – all with naught but an internet and web browser enabled device.

Real Time Race says the technology could be applied to “skiing, mountain biking, equine eventing and water sports etc,” but that sounds a bit pants, and fortunately they’ve been focusing on motor racing so far.

Prior to a big race, the track environment will be captured by a Google Streetcar-alike vehicle, which along with 360 degree cameras sports a gizmo on the back which fires lasers all over the place to work out how far away everything is. The data is then processed and makes its way to a browser where it should play something like a conventional video game map.   

The (real) cars participating in the race will also be captured, as well as fitted with navigation systems which transmit their position on the track, allowing couch-bound speed freaks to test themselves against the best in the world. 

The technology still appears to be in the proof of concept rather than “actually fun” stage, and the car handling and physics are woeful, but it does seem rather promising all the same. 

If you can stand the massive and utterly gratuitous use of exclamation marks and apostrophes, you can read more and download a demo here.

[ Real Time Race ]

I thoroughly enjoy 3D films when it’s done properly, but for 3D to become something more than just a novelty, there has to be a way to get rid of those polarized glasses. And that’s where innovations like 3M’s new optical film comes into play. It features small, dome-shaped lenses on the surface of the film combined with prism-like structures on the underside to create a 3D effect that is visible with the naked eye.

Now unfortunately the film can’t just be applied to any LCD giving it instant 3D capabilities. The display has to have independently controlled LED edge lighting on the left and right side which is used to distinguish the different images meant for the left and right eye. However, the film allows the LCD to be easily switched between 2D and 3D modes, and has already gone into production for small and medium sized displays.

[ Tech-On! - 3M Film Realizes 3D Panel Viewable With Naked Eye ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

If internet radio is your thing, and you often find yourself befuddled by buttons, dials and knobs, design and development firm Cambridge Consultants has just the thing for you! Their recently unveiled Q2 Cube Internet Radio features no visible controls, but instead relies on gravity to change its settings. To select from one of four preset stations, you just turn the cube onto one of its four sides, and to adjust the volume up or down, you just tilt it forwards or backwards. At the moment pricing info hasn’t been revealed, but the company expects to at least have the Cube Radio available in the U.K. in time for Christmas.

[ Wired Gadget Lab - Q2 Cube Internet Radio ] VIA [ Core77 ]

Who would have thought that someone would find a way to make pop-up books, aka the best type of book ever invented, even better? Well that’s exactly what Jie Qi, with assistance from Leah Buechley and Tshen Chew, from the MIT Media Lab have done with their Electronic Popables. The book uses traditional pop-up paper book mechanics but also integrates modern paper-based electronics for more “dynamic interactivity.” In other words it makes them even more awesome, as you can see in the video below.

[ high-low tech - MIT Media Lab - popables ] VIA [ Architectradure ]

Instead of fumbling with handles while your hands are dirty, spreading the mess everywhere, Delta’s new Pilar faucets feature the company’s Touch20 Technology which lets you simply tap or touch them to turn the water on or off. The faucets use two capacitive touch sensors in the handle and the spout to detect when you’ve touched them, but are smart enough to know when the handle or spout have been grabbed instead so you can adjust their positions without turning the water on or off. A chrome version of the Pilar faucet will set you back $495 while the stainless steel model is a bit more at $547.

[ Delta Pilar Touch Activated Faucet ] VIA [ Popular Science ]

Well here’s an interesting advancement in projector technology. Funai and Nippon were showing off a jointly-developed micro projector at CEATEC last week that allows users to interact with the projected image by simply touching a secondary display.

Based on the technical illustration, the projector appears to use a mirror and a beam splitter to create two separate projections. The larger of the two is thrown onto a screen for everyone to enjoy, while a second smaller one is created near the projector where the operator is presumably sitting. Using a sensor the projector can detect changes in light intensity on the second projected image, allowing it to determine where a finger is positioned. From there, the position and even motion of the finger can be used to zoom and rotate the projected image.

Of course the projector is still a concept at this point, but Funai and Nippon believe the technology could be commercialized as early as next year and would be a far cheaper alternative to large touch panels.

[ Tech-On! - New Projector Casts Touch-sensitive Image ] VIA [ SlashGear ]

I can’t say I ever thought I’d see much innovation when it came to bicycle training wheels, but that’s exactly what the creators of the Gyrowheel have managed to do. The wheel replaces a bike’s standard front wheel and features a battery powered spinning disc inside that creates a “gyroscopic precession” force which automatically stabilizes the bike. And not only does it prevent a bike from wobbling or falling over, but according to the company it also teaches better riding techniques.

I know the idea might sound a bit skeptical, but seeing the Gyrowheel balance all by itself when placed on the ground in this video (courtesy of Bikecommuters.com) was enough to convince me the concept has merit.

A kid-sized 12-inch version of the Gyrowheel should be available for purchase in the U.S. by December 1, while a 16-inch version should be available by Spring 2010.

[ Gyrowheel ] VIA [ Gizmag ]