Gizmag Emerging Tech

AUTOMOTIVE Roadtrek converts Ram ProMaster into a cushy, spacious campervan Canadian camper van specialist Roadtrek has launched the all-new Zion, a compact camper built atop the Ram ProMaster. The Zion's open interior layout accommodates gear like bicycles and kayaks in a wide center aisle, then serves as a roomy home away from home at camp. read more ELECTRONICS New chip could turn phone cameras into high-res 3D scanners As if smartphones can't already do enough, soon they may be able to scan three-dimensional objects and send the resultant high-resolution 3D images to a 3D printer that produces hyper-accurate replicas. A tiny, cheap device called a nanophotonic coherent imager (NCI) edges this closer to reality. read more OUTDOORS Thermo Tent promises a more comfortable camping experience If you're a regular camper, you probably know what it's like to pitch a tent on a warm evening and wake up the next morning feeling like you're sleeping in an oven. Cold weather camping can be just as grim, too. Derek O'Sullivan reckons he's solved these issues with his Thermo Tent. read more MUSIC Wearable album art and digital music come together in Astrella's Musical Ts The high fashion house of Astrella has linked the digital music and the physical with a line of t-shirts where streamed music is part of the package. Next month, shoppers at two Bloomingdale's stores will be able to get access to music and more with the help of their smartphones. read more AUTOMOTIVE Peugeot Design shows an ingenious foodtruck Good design is a functional expression of purpose and after 200 years of creating household technology and a 125 years of designing transportation technology, Peugeot Design has married the two with an ingenious mobile restaurant "Foodtruck" concept. read more AUTOMOTIVE Aluminum gives 2016 Jaguar XF a light touch Jaguar debuted its 2016 XF at the 2015 New York International Auto Show this week, with the premium automaker using the second generation of the four-door luxury sedan to showcase the marque's emphasis on the use of aluminum. read more OUTDOORS The backpack-friendly foldable GoBQ fabric grill There are many portable tailgating grills on the market, but not many of them are compact enough to fold into a backpack or shoulder bag and carry by foot. The all-new GoBQ uses a foldable fabric construction to offer just that type of light, ultra-portable transport. read more URBAN TRANSPORT Review: The all-terrain, all-powerful Dominator Pro electric skateboard The four-wheel-drive Dominator 3200 Pro is the most powerful skateboard ever produced by Australian company Epic Skateboards. So it was with equal parts excitement and trepidation that we fired it up and took it to for a spin. read more ENVIRONMENT Algae could both provide biofuel and clean up wastewater Scientists from Houston's Rice University are looking into growing algae in municipal wastewater. The water would already contain its own free fertilizer, plus the algae would help clean it up. read more BICYCLES Closca Fuga bike helmet collapses like a camping cup Bike helmets take up a lot of room in a bag, which is why we've already seen ones that can be folded like an accordion, a taco, or an armadillo. Closca Design's Fuga, however, takes yet another approach – it telescopes down from the top. read more MILITARY Anglo-French project aims at using robots to fight underwater mines If you hunt unexploded sea mines for a living, then you might not mind losing your job to a robot. That seems to be the reasoning of the British and French governments as they embark on a joint venture to develop a prototype autonomous system for detecting and neutralizing sea mines. read more AUTOMOTIVE Freightliner SuperTruck shows other transport trucks how efficiency is done Back in 2009, the US Department of Energy issued its SuperTruck Challenge. It invited truck manufacturers to design a prototype that was at least 50 percent more freight-efficient than a baseline truck. Daimler Trucks North America recently unveiled its response – the Freightliner SuperTruck. read more SCIENCE Large Hadron Collider back on line As the saying goes, you can't keep a good particle accelerator down. In Switzerland, CERN announced that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is back online after a major overhaul and refit. This power-up of the most powerful particle accelerator in the world marks the culmination of two years of work. read more BICYCLES Pinarello and Jaguar create soft-riding road bike  Jaguar and Pinarello have combined to create the new Dogma K8-S. It has been engineered with a clever rear suspension system to provide Team Sky’s cyclists with a smooth ride across rough terrain. read more SCIENCE Shape-shifting nanoprobes report on internal body conditions using magnetic fields Scientists have developed a new type of shape-shifting nanoprobe that can perform high-resolution remote biological sensing not possible with current technology. The nanoprobes are designed to provide feedback on internal body conditions by altering their magnetic fields.read more AUTOMOTIVE 2016 Nissan Maxima keeps an eye on drowsy drivers To mark Drowsy Driving Awareness Day on April 6, Nissan is presenting its Driver Attention Alert system as part of the safety package for the 2016 Nissan Maxima, which is debuting at the New York International Auto Show. read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Galaxy S6 review: Samsung raises the smartphone bar For the last few years, Samsung has been steadily improving the Galaxy S series. But one thing always stayed the same: plastic. So what happens when Samsung switches to premium materials and leaps forward in other areas? You get the outstanding Samsung Galaxy S6. read more AUTOMOTIVE Plastic engine parts could lead to lighter cars Recent government requirements for greater fuel efficiency have led to lighter cars hitting the market. To find further weight reductions, a Fraunhofer project group is developing ways of building engine cylinder blocks that are partly plastic. read more WEARABLE ELECTRONICS Apple Watch pre-orders will start just after midnight (PDT) on April 10 We've known for some time that Apple Watch pre-orders would start on Friday, April 10. Today Apple added a note to its product page detailing exactly when online pre-orders will begin: just after midnight Pacific time (that's late Thursday evening if you live in the US). read more