Cool Hunting

Info Mica
Info Mica is a clear plastic data storage solution from NTT that uses holographic technology to store lots of information in a small space with very little power requirements. A special reader will be needed to get data off of the Info Mica, but wouldn't it be great if this stuff could be molded in to every day objects like thumbtacks or chairs? via...

Gesture Based Interfaces
Toshiba, Hitachi and other home electronics manufacturers are investing heavily in the development of gesture based interfaces for their gadgets. As systems become more complex so do their interfaces. Gestures can be an intuitive way to control things, but can they be specific enough to apply to a broad range of functions? We'll see. via NE Asia Online...

World's Smallest Flying Robot
One can imagine all sorts of uses for this little bugger. Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson") has developed the mFR ("Micro Flying Robot"), the world's smallest flying prototype microrobot. Epson developed the mFR to demonstrate the micromechatronics technology that it has cultivated in-house over the years and to explore the possibilities for microrobots and the development of component technology applications. The company will display its...

Crucifix MP3 player
Perhaps taking a cue from the iBelieve (a lanyard that made the original iPod shuffles look like crosses), Chinese electronics wholesaler Chinavision recently came out with a crucifix-shaped MP3 player for devout music listeners. It's a rather unique way of marketing technology and we can't help but wonder what the J Man would think of such a device. The player offers 1GB of internal...

NASA Create the Future Design Contest
Roads that produce electricity from the kinetic energy of cars, DNA-scanning ballot boxes to wipe out voter fraud, superbly energy-efficient houses (pictured right) to stave off the impending energy crisis... these are some of the entries vying for the $20,000 prize offered by NASA in the Create the Future Design Contest While the entry date has come and gone, there are literally hundreds of...

Pacemaker
When one of CH's designers tipped us to the Pacemaker, the world's first hand-held DJ system, (right after we also heard about it when in Europe recently), we knew it was worth checking out. Fortunately for us, we had the chance to experience it first hand when co-founder Ola Sars stopped by our offices earlier this week. In person, the "PSP of music's" look,...