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| AUTOMOTIVE |
| Volvo ditches the passenger seat for a new twist on chauffeur-driven luxury |
 | Manufacturers are throwing everything they've got at winning the battle for chauffeur-driven dollars. Volvo has tackled this challenge in a very unique way - by removing the passenger seat, and replacing it with a multi-purpose luxury footrest. read more |
| COMPUTERS |
| CyberPower Trinity gaming PC offers distinctive "blade" design |
 | CyberPower's latest gaming rig, known as the Trinity, is one of the most unusual machines we've seen. The system features three "blades", placing the processor, graphics card and storage components in their own separate sections of the enclosure. read more |
| DIGITAL CAMERAS |
| Ricoh reveals the Pentax K-3 II with Pixel Shift Resolution |
 | The Pentax K-3 II is the latest flagship APS-C DSLR from Ricoh. The new camera combines a sturdy weather resistant body with new features including a Pixel Shift Resolution System for producing images with full RGB color information for each pixel, and an enhanced shake reduction system. read more |
| ARCHITECTURE |
| Thames Bath project hits Kickstarter |
 | The Thames Bath project, which seeks to put a brand new floating lido on the River Thames, is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. The goal is just £125,000 (US$187,000), which is sure to be a fraction of the eventual cost of the project. read more |
| HEALTH AND WELLBEING |
| Shoe That Grows gives poor kids footwear that fits for years |
 | For children living in poverty, footwear is one of many problems. Almost as soon as a child has received shoes to wear, they're likely to have grown out of them and have to make do with them being too small. The Shoe That Grows changes this. It allows children to adjust its size as their feet grow. read more |
| ELECTRONICS |
| New e-paper can be written on like a whiteboard |
 | A cheap but tough new electronic paper display can be written on with a magnet. It could be used in low-cost, lightweight electronic whiteboards as well as traditional classroom blackboards, and its creators hope that it will eventually reduce our dependence on real paper. read more |
| OUTDOORS |
| Accordion-style Hydaway water bottle folds down into a flat disc |
 | Over the years, one of the biggest trends we've seen in water bottle design is the collapsible bottle that compacts down to pocket size when empty. The Hydaway offers a slightly different take on the trend, its silicone body compacting like an accordion into a flat, pocketable disc. read more |
| MEDICAL |
| Breath test for malaria is in the air |
 | Diagnosing malaria can be a difficult process, but a more accessible method may be in the works. Scientists have discovered that certain chemicals are present and can be detected in the breath of sufferers, raising the possibility of a cheap breath test to diagnose the deadly disease. read more |
| AUTOMOTIVE |
| Volkswagen hints at model expansion with C Coupé GTE concept |
 | Volkswagen is at the Shanghai International Auto Show hinting at a possible expansion of its model range with its C Coupé GTE concept. The automaker says that "if it were to go into production," the saloon would slot in between the Passat and Phaeton in Volkswagens model line up. read more |
| AROUND THE HOME |
| Levitating lightbulb takes Flyte |
 | Need something to place alongside your levitating Bluetooth speakers? It looks like progress in magnetic levitation, induction and one product designer's brain have come together to save the day. The Flyte globe hovers freely above its base, offering a unique way to light up a room. read more |
| AUTOMOTIVE |
| Audi makes the Prologue a 734-hp all-terrain quattro crossover |
 | The new Audi Prologue allroad is the third member of the Prologue concept family and picks up where last month's Prologue Avant left off, throwing an alarmingly powerful but efficient 734-hp hybrid powertrain into the mix. read more |
| ELECTRONICS |
| World's first light-activated, molecule-sized switch gets turned on |
 | Researchers at the University of Konstanz and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) claim to have created a molecule-sized electrical switch and proven its operation for the very first time. This work may lead to other microscopic electronic components born from self-assembling molecules. read more |
| GOOD THINKING |
| Sweat-analyzing AlcoStop system could thwart would-be drunk drivers |
 | The prototype AlcoStop system measures drivers' blood alcohol levels by analyzing their sweat via built-in sensors. If those levels indicate that they're too drunk to drive, the system won't allow the car's engine to start.read more |
| SCIENCE |
| Disney tech may lead to better dubbing of foreign films |
 | A team from Disney Research Pittsburgh and the University of East Anglia has developed a system that could make the dubbing of foreign-language films easier, by automatically suggesting more English phrases that match the actors' lip movements. read more |
| ELECTRONICS |
| Schiit drops new consonant-heavy high-end DAC |
 | Schiit Audio (yes, you read that right) has spent the last five years researching digital filter algorithms, a quest that has ended with Yggdrasil, a flagship multi-bit DAC with a true closed form filter. read more |
| AROUND THE HOME |
| Oomi smart home system needs no smartphone |
 | Oomi is promising to redefine the smart home by taking the smartphone out of the equation, and by making it quick and easy to set up and get going. While some systems are clearly aimed at tinkerers, this one seems like it could be used by people with a minimal amount of technical knowledge. read more |
| SCIENCE |
| Haptics system could transmit emotions via users' hands |
 | We've already seen interactive technologies that create smells or tactile sensations on command. Now, however, British scientists have developed a system that they claim can be used to make users experience specific emotions – and it does so without even touching the person. read more |
| TELECOMMUNICATIONS |
| Google takes on US wireless behemoths with Project Fi |
 | With Google Voice all but dead, it makes sense that the company was busy behind the scenes, cooking up a new angle for taking on the telecom industry. Today we have it, in the form of Project Fi: Google's long-rumored Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) service. read more |
| ARCHITECTURE |
| AIA announces Top Ten sustainable buildings in the US |
 | Timed to coincide with Earth Day, and hot on the heels of the recent Best Housing awards, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) has today unveiled its Top Ten examples of sustainable architecture in America. read more |
| OUTDOORS |
| Three-track Ardenner designed to pull over 250 kg of cargo across the snow |
 | This is either the craziest idea to hit the snow, or one of the coolest. Austrian company Mattro's Ardenner features not one, but three snowmobile-like tracks clawing into the snow and ice to provide a great deal of forward thrust. And the coolest thing: It's all electric.read more |
| AUTOMOTIVE |
| Remote parking and gesture control coming to BMW 7 Series |
 | BMW has announced a host of new technologies that will be coming to its new 7 Series range. The firm says the tech, which includes driverless parking and gesture control functionalities, will deliver improved lightweight design, driving dynamics, comfort, intelligent connectivity and operation. read more |
| LAPTOPS |
| HP's new convertibles have Yoga-like designs with lengthy (advertised) battery life |
 | Both the Pavilion x360 and Envy x360 take design cues from the high-end Spectre x360, and offer lengthy battery lives and hinged designs – flipping all the way round from laptop to tablet. read more |
| MOBILE TECHNOLOGY |
| Hands-on: PopSlate adds a second screen to the iPhone 6 |
 | Now you can add a second screen to your iPhone 6 using a new case called PopSlate. Currently iPhone only, the case adds a 4-inch e-ink screen to the back of your phone that can be used to display everything from artwork to your Starbucks card. read more |
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