LACY BIKE: Do you reckon a rugged mountain bike frame could weigh just 1.2kg? The Arantix Mountain Bike uses an IsoTruss carbon fibre and Kevlar spider web-like open lattice tube design to cut the weight. The limited edition frame is handcrafted to create an ultra stiff and responsive bike. What about the aerodynamics of that lattice frame? Details at Delta7.
DAILY SHOT: Some people have diseases or conditions that mean they must have injections at intervals, maybe daily, perhaps for years. The MicroCHIPS company has now successfully tested an implantable drug delivery microchip, to the proof of concept stage. The device can be monitored and controlled remotely while it delivers the metred doses for several weeks. Now the company are developing new designs to deliver up to 400 doses over more than a year. Imagine if it came
loaded with chocolate or caffeine. More at MicroCHIPS.
BYE BYE BIRDIE: The Scalado Remove app aims to clean up your smartphone photos. The app takes several photos of the same scene and then analyses the objects in that scene. Tap on a highlighted object to remove it from the image. This could let you take a photo of a landmark, for example, without the clutter of cars or other
passers-by. I wish I could declutter my house as easily. More at Engadget and video here.
GO GO GECKO: A team of scientists at the University of Massachusetts has created Geckskin, a device that can hold almost 320kg on a smooth wall. Based on how a gecko sticks to walls, the device can be easily removed and then stuck to another surface as many times as needed. Geckskin uses a soft pad woven into a stiff fabric in a way that maximises contact with a surface such as a wall, and includes a synthetic tendon that maintains stiffness and rotational freedom. Goodbye ladders. This just has to lead to new types of sports too. More at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst.
CAR SPIES: Some British car insurers are offering their customers a telematics black box to install in their car. The telematics device uses sat-nav technology to track driver performance, monitoring speed, braking, cornering and the types of roads used during certain times of day. The data is sent back to the insurers, and drivers can access their own data via a web page. The system is mainly aimed at younger drivers who want to reduce their premiums by showing they drive safely. That has a lot of potential to backfire on the driver. BBC has more.
