Rolex brings a touch of style to Bloodhound SSC

Two high performance analogue instruments have been installed into the Bloodhound supersonic car-one for speed (reading up to 1,100mph) and one for time.

The analogue speedometer and chronograph sit either side of the custom made, 3D printed titanium steering wheel.

Developed exclusively for Bloodhound by luxury watch maker Rolex, both are GPS-based, for accuracy, and have their own battery system.

This means that even if the rest of the electronics fail, they'll keep on ticking.

The components, with characteristic Rolex analogue dials, will provide a necessary visual reference and fail safe back up for some of the on-screen readouts during the two critical phases in the record bid: assisting precision braking from 1,000mph on the 20km track and for timekeeping during the turnaround in between the two mandatory record runs.

"We were looking to have independent and reliable devices to measure speed and time during the record attempt," said driver Andy Green, who's seeking to raise his own land speed record to 1,000mph in Bloodhound SSC in 2016."

He continued: "These high precision instruments will not only give me a visual reference of the speed, both in acceleration and most importantly on braking, but also help during the precise turnaround the car will have to go through in a limited time."

Bloodhound SSC is scheduled to test in South Africa next year before the world land speed record attempt in 2016.

Two high performance analogue instruments have been installed into the Bloodhound supersonic car – one for speed (reading up to 1,100mph) and one for time.

The analogue speedometer and chronograph sit either side of the custom made, 3D printed titanium steering wheel.

Developed exclusively for Bloodhound by luxury watch maker Rolex, both are GPS-based, for accuracy, and have their own battery system.

This means that even if the rest of the electronics fail, they'll keep on ticking.

The components, with characteristic Rolex analogue dials, will provide a necessary visual reference and fail safe back up for some of the on-screen readouts during the two critical phases in the record bid: assisting precision braking from 1,000mph on the 20km track and for timekeeping during the turnaround in between the two mandatory record runs.

"We were looking to have independent and reliable devices to measure speed and time during the record attempt," said driver Andy Green, who's seeking to raise his own land speed record to 1,000mph in Bloodhound SSC in 2016."

He continued: "These high precision instruments will not only give me a visual reference of the speed, both in acceleration and most importantly on braking, but also help during the precise turnaround the car will have to go through in a limited time."

Bloodhound SSC is scheduled to test in South Africa next year before the world land speed record attempt in 2016.

- See more at: http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/rolex-brings-a-touch-of-style-to-bloodhound-ssc/61300/#sthash.VlVmtyWZ.dpuf

Two high performance analogue instruments have been installed into the Bloodhound supersonic car – one for speed (reading up to 1,100mph) and one for time.dfdfdf

The analogue speedometer and chronograph sit either side of the custom made, 3D printed titanium steering wheel.

Developed exclusively for Bloodhound by luxury watch maker Rolex, both are GPS-based, for accuracy, and have their own battery system.

This means that even if the rest of the electronics fail, they'll keep on ticking.

The components, with characteristic Rolex analogue dials, will provide a necessary visual reference and fail safe back up for some of the on-screen readouts during the two critical phases in the record bid: assisting precision braking from 1,000mph on the 20km track and for timekeeping during the turnaround in between the two mandatory record runs.

"We were looking to have independent and reliable devices to measure speed and time during the record attempt," said driver Andy Green, who's seeking to raise his own land speed record to 1,000mph in Bloodhound SSC in 2016."

He continued: "These high precision instruments will not only give me a visual reference of the speed, both in acceleration and most importantly on braking, but also help during the precise turnaround the car will have to go through in a limited time."

Bloodhound SSC is scheduled to test in South Africa next year before the world land speed record attempt in 2016.
- See more at: http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/rolex-brings-a-touch-of-style-to-bloodhound-ssc/61300/#sthash.VlVmtyWZ.dpuf

Two high performance analogue instruments have been installed into the Bloodhound supersonic car – one for speed (reading up to 1,100mph) and one for time.

The analogue speedometer and chronograph sit either side of the custom made, 3D printed titanium steering wheel.

Developed exclusively for Bloodhound by luxury watch maker Rolex, both are GPS-based, for accuracy, and have their own battery system.

This means that even if the rest of the electronics fail, they'll keep on ticking.

The components, with characteristic Rolex analogue dials, will provide a necessary visual reference and fail safe back up for some of the on-screen readouts during the two critical phases in the record bid: assisting precision braking from 1,000mph on the 20km track and for timekeeping during the turnaround in between the two mandatory record runs.

"We were looking to have independent and reliable devices to measure speed and time during the record attempt," said driver Andy Green, who's seeking to raise his own land speed record to 1,000mph in Bloodhound SSC in 2016."

He continued: "These high precision instruments will not only give me a visual reference of the speed, both in acceleration and most importantly on braking, but also help during the precise turnaround the car will have to go through in a limited time."

Bloodhound SSC is scheduled to test in South Africa next year before the world land speed record attempt in 2016.
- See more at: http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/rolex-brings-a-touch-of-style-to-bloodhound-ssc/61300/#sthash.VlVmtyWZ.dpuf

Microsoft To Hold “Small” Surface Event On May 20

Last month, we heard talks about Microsoft working hard at releasing a Surface Mini this year, but as is usual with these things, we didn’t have anything solid to work on. Yesterday, however, the big names in tech media published reports about receiving invites to a “small” Surface event on the 20th of May.

“Breaking news” about the “small” Surface event was all over the place yesterday, with leading to speculation as to what we can expect about the event.


One thing’s pretty obvious: Microsoft is going the Apple route of teasing the media – and the general public – with announcements to events. The word small in quotation marks, we believe, is definitely word play on the size of the Surface that’s going to be the highlight of the event.

And this brings us back to all that talk about the Surface Mini.

Microsoft’s Surface line has not been able to reach the levels of success that its competitors have, but the general consensus is that it is best for productivity purposes, with business people being the main users. Microsoft is not ruling out the possibility of adding a fun factor to the Surface, though as seen in a recent video ad featuring a bakery owner from New York.

With the likely pending launch of a 7 to 8-inch Surface Mini, the company just might have a fighting chance in the tablet wars. It might not win – probably won’t, actually – but a smaller tablet will definitely attract more users.

This is not to say that he May 20 event will definitely be about the Surface Mini, but I think I’m willing to bet on that – just for the sake of betting, no money involved!

So what do you think the May 20 event will be about? Will we be hearing an official announcement about the Surface Mini? If you’re a Surface user, will you switch to the smaller tablet when it’s released?

The Cree LED T8 Will Save 30% of Lighting Energy Costs in the Business Sector

In today’s economic climate, most businesses and everyday persons are trying to do their best to reduce their carbon footprint.  That’s why Cree (a market leading innovator of lighting products) has become so popular.

Cree plans on becoming 100% LED lighting.  But what does this mean?  They want to completely replace fluorescent bulbs in order to drastically reduce energy usage.  Major pieces of the lighting market don’t offer enough LED-based choices.  However, Cree started off their LED lights with the A19 bulb with covered most of the consumer lighting needs.

Cree also released the BR bulb as well as the PAR38.  They are directional bulbs that are quite popular in homes and offices.  However, Cree has now completely replaced the T8 fluorescent with the LED T8.

Since commercial lighting is half of the market, it was important to keep the design.  However, LED T8’s (as opposed to the fluorescent) has had a slow uptake.  They are pricey and there are limited options.  Also, the new LED bulbs are not very compatible with existing hardware.

Cree’s LED T8 will cost $30 (48-inch size) and it will have a 30% reduction in power usage.  It will also be practically universally compatible so companies and individuals wont have to upgrade their hardware.  The lamp with be in both 3500K and 4000K options.

There will be a five-year warranty and the lamp will last around 50,000 hours. A regular fluorescent T8 may cost approximately $15 but have only 20,000 hours.  So for double the price, you get more than double the hours.  An excellent option as it will also save on energy bills!

As always, if you would like to leave a sensible comment, then please do so in the comments section below.

8 Things To Expect in iOS 8

It is expected that Apple will be previewing iOS 8 at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. Traditionally the company releases an update to its mobile operating system every year at this very conference so I think it’s very likely that we will be introduced to any new functionality and features.  However with the expected arrival of a new iPhone that is rumored to have a new design, it could be that Apple decides to just release an OS with just minor updates. Whatever the case, let’s look at eight things iOS 8 is rumored to have.

Healthbook App

Thanks to a leaked screenshot of the Healthbook app, iOS 8 is expected to come with this new feature that doesn’t look too dissimilar in design to the Passbook app. It has been speculated that the data will come from the much anticipated iWatch, which could be like the other high-end fitness trackers that are already on the market. It is thought that the app will store a person’s personal medical information, as well as track your sleep, steps and hydration. To make sure that Healthbook is not just limited to iWatch users, it could be that the M7 co-processor from the iPhone 5S plays a roll in supplying the data too.

Improved Maps

Although a lot of major issues with mapping were solved with the release of iOS 7, Apple has continued to struggle to compete with Google Maps, so it is expected that we will see further improvements in iOS 8, with better directions, an addition of transit directions and indoor mapping, which will provide directions for places like museums and hotels.

iCloud Integration

In order to encourage more people to use iCloud for storage and viewing, iOS 8 is expected to come with its own versions of TextEdit and Preview, which are note taking and photo viewing applications for Mac OS X. Although editing may not be permitted through the iOS versions of the apps, expect to be able to view your documents and photos.

Removal of Game Center

At the moment the Game Center is pretty pointless, with most of its services being used within games that use it for multiplayer settings or leaderboards. With the removal of the app, changes would be made through Global settings instead, giving users more functionality within the games themselves.

TouchID Payments

Rumor has it that Apple is developing a mobile payment system, allowing users to purchase goods and services via the fingerprint sensor.

iTunes Radio

At the moment the iTunes Radio is part of the Music app but it could be that we see its functionality separated in to its very own app. This would give users more options and also help Apple compete with the likes of Spotify and Pandora.

Siri

Digital personal assistants are getting increasingly better and it was inevitable that everyone would expect iOS 8 to bring the same functionality to Siri as Google Now. It is thought that there will be more updates that add greater access to web resources like the already-connected Wolfram engine and that Siri will be able to apply voice commands to third party apps that are available through the App Store.

CarPlay

CarPlay could be about to go wireless in iOS 8. Obviously this will only effect you if you have a posh car that can support the feature but over time we are only going to see an increase in CarPlay as more cars adopt the software.

With WWDC just around the corner now, stay tuned for all the latest news and releases! Plus tell us what you’d like to see improved or added in iOS 8.

iPhone Door Security With Kwikset Kevo

If you own an iPhone and are a even a little security conscious then listen up. The Kwikset’s Kevo Bluetooth Electronic Deadbolt is a very cool piece of home security tech.

It wasn’t going to be long before someone invented an intelligent Bluetooth-enabled lock and to be fair, it is rather a neat idea.  In today’s society, crime is on the increase and home automation devices are becoming an increasing market.

The Internet enabled home or ‘Smart House’ is not far away from mainstream and the Kwikset Kevo is the kind of device, which speeds up the process.

Kevo is able to be installed either on a brand new door or it can be fitted for a door that already has a deadbolt installed. The instructions for installation are standard and anyone with an inkling of skills will be up and running with this device in no time at all.

The box comes with all of the Kevo hardware that is required. Once fitted, the outside of the door looks like a standard deadbolt lock, but it actually has a ring of status LEDs built into it.  Also the outside of the lock is touch-sensitive. On the inside of the unit is a very small box which contains the electronics and a motor, which operates the lock and also a manual  locking lever.

The free Kevo app is easy to operate and you will be guided through creating an account on MyKevo.com. The app and lock does require you to have either; an iPhone 4s or newer, a fifth-generation iPod touch, a third-generation iPad or newer, or an iPad mini.

Each Kevo lock comes with at two eKeys, these are encrypted electronic keys, which are set up with the application. Currently, new owners may get five extra eKeys. So if you need to let a friend have temporary access to your house? You can send them an eKey via email.  Once they are done you can then then disable that key.  As they device is both digital and ‘analogue’ there are two regular keys included also.The system does have a few neat features, such as the ability to see a full history of all the actions that are associated with a lock. You may receive notifications when a specific user opens a certain lock at a particular time.

If you loose your iPhone then you really do need to visit the MyKevo website, log in you’re your account and then disable or delete that phone.

The Kevo is available in satin nickel, polished brass, or Venetian bronze and costs $219.
As always, if you would like to leave a sensible comment, then please do so in the comments section below.

Microsoft Making “Windows Watch”?

There’s no doubt that the smartwatch niche is hot these days, with everyone and their mom jumping in the bandwagon, trying to outdo each other, not to mention to get “there” first. Now, it looks like Microsoft is joining the smartwatch game, with its not-so-recently filed patent for a smartwatch.

For the lack of a better name, let’s say Microsoft is looking to make a Windows Watch, given the smartwatch patent application released by the U.S. Patent Office. The date of the patent is way back in 2012, but it was only released last week. The abstract of the patent, which may lead to a Windows Watch, goes:

A personal information system is provided. The system may include a portable information device having a housing including a top surface defined at least partially by a display, a bottom surface configured with a central region in which an optical sensor, electrical connector, and data connector are positioned, the housing enclosing an internal volume in which a processor is provided, the top surface and bottom surface being coupled by a perimeter side edge extending therebetween, and a mounting structure formed at least partially around the perimeter side edge of the housing. The system may further include a frame, which may be connected to a band, the frame surrounding a void and configured to receive the mounting structure, the frame and mounting structure being releasably securable via a tongue and groove connection. The system may further comprise a dock to which the information device may be connected.

Titled “WEARABLE PERSONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM”, the patent basically shows Microsoft’s idea of a wristwatch that combines several functions together: music player, fitness tracker, phone, and messaging device.

That sounds like the ideal smartwatch that we’ve all been waiting for, yeah?

But how will the Windows Watch, if it ever sees the light of day, compete with what’s already in the market? It’s just a patent application, so we don’t really know what Microsoft will come up with, but we do know that whatever the device turns out to be, it will be playing catch up with the Pebble, the Galaxy Gear, and other smartwatches that are due to come out in the next months.

Have you been keeping tabs on the smartwatch niche? What do you think about Microsoft making its own Windows Watch?

Top 10 Utterly Pointless USB Devices

When it was developed almost 11 years ago, the USB port, which stands for Universal Serial Bus; creators envisioned it as a way to make it easy for users to attach devices to their PC’s. By simplifying things for product developers and users, this new and simple format gave way for not only these developers, but for budding designers to have a new medium to come up with any kind of wacky device they pleased. An increasing number of oddball peripherals have appeared in recent years, and with that some corporate cadavers have taken on to collecting these strange USB gadgets. Chances are, one of them works in your office, showing off his collection of eyesores valiantly on his desk.

10.USB Fridge :

The time has come to stop forcing yourself to drink tepid Pepsi while forgetting yourself in the mountains of work at your desk! Plug the USB Fridge into your computer while you are working, place a beverage inside and get ready to enjoy your choice of tasty liquid at a cool 47 degrees Fahrenheit.

9.USB Monitor Smasher :

As useful and compliant as your PC may be, at some point you probably just want to clobber it into a million tiny pieces. Here we introduce the device that will save you thousands of dollars and hours of cleanup time. The ScreenSmasher is a foam mallet that comes with a USB sensor. Take the stress relieving smack at your screen and your Windows Desktop will automatically display the image of shattered glass – also with a realistic crash sound effect.

8.Gold Flash Drive:

True, the flash drive is a far cry from a bizarre USB device – but it is the price tag of this attractive accessory that puts it on this list. Introduced at the CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany, this exclusive USB key seems to be marketed mainly for its exquisite exterior – as its memory capacity wasn’t even mentioned at its premiere. It was later released that capacities will include 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1024MB. This gold-plated, diamond-encrusted USB memory stick is also adorned with a hefty price tag of 2,950-euro or $3,500!

7.Hampster Wheel:

Tired of your monotonous office work day after day, caught up in the rat race of the working world? Ready for the perfect way to lift your spirits and send laughter tearing through the office? Introducing the USB Hampster Wheel! Just plug it into your USB port, load the software provided and watch your furry friend as you type: the hampster gets running and spins the wheel around in the process, spinning even faster as your typing speed increases!

6.USB Exercising Dog:

You’ve got to do something with your unused USB ports, so why not fill it up with something totally useless like these USB dogs? A more family-friendly version then its “humping dog” predecessor, you can watch the USB Exercising Dog as he works his washboard abs to perfection!

5.USB Ghost Radar:

For the multitasking, facebook-addicted Ghostbuster, here is the USB device you’ve been searching for. The USB Ghost Radar supposedly does just as it says, detect ghosts. This gadget is actually quite complex. Using sensors and alert lights, and an algorithm it detects any paranormal activity – all the while factoring in biometric feedback from your skin, along with many other features. Plug in the USB Ghost Radar and it will beep in rhythm with specific light patterns depending on the paranormal activity around you. The volume and intensity of the beeps supposedly indicates how close your ghost is. The lights help you figure out the ghost’s position, movement, and the risk possibilities.

4.Mr. Tengu:

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little buddy that could just sit right next to your computer and make stupid faces? Plug Mr. Tengu into your USB port and he will sit contently at your desk making weird faces with changes in sound, and will take naps when his daily face making routine becomes too exhausting.

3.Coffee Mug-Mouse:

Now I know what you’re thinking…. “Besides the high ‘coffee-spilling-all-over-the-desk’ chances, isn’t that going to be tough to use?” In fact, the MugMouse was created with the deliberate intention by SLOWEB Peripherals “to provide an alternative to the fast global flow of information”. This infrared mouse follows your movements and the mouse button at the bottom of the mug is clicked by pushing the whole mug towards the table; And as an added bonus, this handy mug not only holds 150mL of your favourite hot drink, but keeps it steamy with the built-in heater. So for those who are looking for a speed reduced computer mouse that doubles as a coffee mug – this little diddy is for you!

2.Bowling Ball-Flash Drive:

Though this “heavy duty” memory stick is not yet patented and ready to sell to the public – I can’t help but applaud this device’s creator Chris Spurgeon for attempting to find the solution to our age’s miniature flash drives going missing. Converting his 16 pound bowling ball into a memory stick he asks himself “Let’s see if I send that through the laundry by mistake!” On the practical side though, I hope when using it he doesn’t attach it directly to his laptop…

1.USB Scan Toaster:

Ever wonder what it would feel like to see your face on a 5 dollar bill? A postage stamp? How about a piece of toast? A finalist in the 2008 Electrolux Design Lap competition, the USB Scan toaster uses hot wires that rotate within a 30° radius to “burn” anything you want onto your piece of toast; the news, weather or snapshots – the delicious possibilities are endless!