Future Technology: March 2012

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Nokia Lumia 800 to control Microsoft’s Concept Car

Microsoft has just recently unveiled a concept car called “Project Detroit” which can be controlled using a Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone.

Microsoft had this 2012 Ford Mustang with a 1967 body “pimped” Fast and Furious style with the help West Coast Customs, to “inspire developers to think about building apps and automotive technologies of the future.” This muscle car is equipped with almost everything that Microsoft currently has in its arsenal: Kinect for Xbox 360, Xbox 360, Windows 8, Windows Phone, Windows Azure, Bing, Ford Sync and more.

The Nokia Lumia 800 comes into play by allowing it to remotely unlock and start Project Detroit with the Viper SmartStart app for Windows phone. It also allows you watch and listen to live video streams from the Kinects that are embedded in the car, rendering the rear-view mirror almost obsolete. A few swipes from the Lumia 800 and you can change the accent lighting and horn sound or send a projected message to the rear windshield – “BATMAN CAN KISS MY ***!”

Project Detroit also has a Windows 8 – powered tablet embedded on the dash, allowing you to browse the internet or play Xbox games. So, getting stuck in traffic with this baby is no big deal.

I know this is still far from getting a real life GTA but it’s exciting to see Microsoft’s plans in using its technology for a whole new purpose other than showing how rich Bill Gates is.
Did I hear you say, “Shut Up And Take My Money!”?

Written by Louie Diangson

This article was contributed by Louie Diangson, a special features contributor and correspondent for YugaTech. Louie is a staff writer for an American owned BPO company. A social media advocate with high regard for Steve Jobs. You can follow him at @John_Louie.

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VOLKSWAGEN ZAPS THE BEETLE, CREATES E-BUGSTER

What’s in a Name?

The name “E-Bugster” is a combination of “E” for electric, “Bug,” the American nickname for the Beetle, and “speedster,” which typically describes an open-top two-seater. Although the E-Bugster concept is clearly not a convertible, it sports the typical speedster profile of shallow windows and a low, dramatic roofline.

Blue-e-motion for a Cleaner Future

At the heart of the E-Bugster is an electric motor that makes 114 horsepower (85 kW) and 199 pound-feet of torque. A lithium-ion battery enables the car to go more than 100 miles in zero emissions driving. Stored under the trunk floor and the rear bench, the battery weighs 695 pounds. The battery is recharged via a plug interface located on the car’s passenger-side rear fender and can accommodate all three types of available chargers: Level 1 (120V), Level 2 (240V), and, where available, Level 3 (quick charge, 80 percent charge in 30 minutes). Holistically, Volkswagen calls the electric drive unit used in the E-Bugster “Blue-e-motion,” and it will be found in future products such as the Golf Blue-e-Motion.

Unique Design

In addition to being a study in pure-electric mobility, the E-Bugster is also a dynamic study in Beetle design. Up front, the E-Bugster’s flat and wide windshield is distinctive. The E-Bugster utilizes LED Daytime Running Lights, just like the production Beetle, except that here they form a distinctive graphic on either side of the lower air intake in the front bumper. This LED graphic is mirrored by reflectors in the rear bumper. Ever since the e-up! concept car was presented in Europe, these unique DRLs have become a signature element on Volkswagen electric vehicle studies.

From the side, the E-Bugster’s low, flat roof serves to frame the rest of the vehicle’s distinctive features. Between its flared fenders and 20-inch wheels, there’s a distinctive Beetle “V” that runs along the side of the vehicle. Above its side sill, a decal with the “E-Bugster” signature can be seen. Just above this point, the chrome has been lengthened from the lower window border towards the rear of the car. The top of the E-Bugster extends in a flat arch over this chrome line and borders the vehicle’s side windows. The height between the chrome lower edge of these windows and the uppermost roof line is tight, like a chopped-down speedster. Overall, the Bugster is nearly three inches lower than a Beetle.

EV-specific instrumentation

A unique exterior look isn’t all that sets the E-Bugster apart from the production Beetle; it also sports EV-specific gauges inside. The traditional tachometer has been replaced with an energy consumption display that fluctuates with vehicle acceleration. Other instrumentation includes a driving range indicator, a display showing the battery’s charge state, and a display that shows the driver the intensity of battery regeneration.

Volkswagen

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The Eco-perch luxury tree house

When you say tree house the image that pops into your head is that of a very simple and traditional structure that kids usually build with their parents and where they spend time with friends. Well, that too is accurate but it’s not the only option. This is Eco-perch, a luxury tree house that changes the entire concept at the base of this design.
This eye-catching and quick to install structure was designed by Each Sussex0based architecture and construction firm Blue Forest. The luxury tree house is crafted from natural materials and it’s a quick to install structure. It can be implemented within 5 days. Also, it has a design that has minimal impact on the landscape. Adequate site preparation is required beforehand. The Eco-Perch structure is contained within a 6 meter by 8 meter footprint. It’s rather small but it’s definitely bigger than the tree house you had when you were a kid.

Inside, the Eco-Perch features a kitchen, a dining room ad a living area. There’s also a cozy bedroom that can comfortably accommodate four people. The continuous roof surface wraps everything and creates a compact look. The Eco-Perch tree house has an oval shape. It features windows that provide beautiful views and a veranda. You will be able to enjoy this capsule for more than 15 years. The Eco-Perch can even be used in your personal garden after you acquire planning permission to install it. The interior of the dwelling can be used as a guest area during the summer, as an office or studio or anything else

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Technology and intuition coupled under aged palms

This mouse-like device has been designed by Jae Won Chang and comes with hi tech facilities like touch screen, LED module and vibration motor. The gadget is run by two AA batteries and has been crafted in recycled plastic and TPE. It can prove to be a great help to senior citizens as you can set various reminders like doctor’s appointment, family events, etc on this mouse. It can also be synced with cloud calendar to ring a bell about important daily schedules that you might forget.

Another attractive feature about this intuitive mouse is that you can make it understand your communication patterns to notify about messages only from close relationships. It also apprises you of Facebook Notifications, chat messages and even video chat invitations. Viper alerts you with a slight pulse and an LED light whenever you get a new e-mail or a message from your favorite contacts. To view the email you just have to graze your finger across the icon on the Viper and internet browser will automatically open that email on your computer screen. In short, this mouse is a complete package to keep you updated with all the important schedules and to keep in touch with your loved ones despite of your growing age.

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Technology | Awesome iPad 3 Concept with Edge to Edge Screen

This is what the future of technology hold for us all. I can’t wait. Very cool stuff.

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filed under: concept, i pad 3

SAAB?

Though the brand may be nearing its end, Swedish automaker SAAB will always be remembered for producing and advancing the technology of jet fighters still in use today. An ode to SAAB’s rich history, this coupe concept takes inspiration (and name) from the Viggen fighter, mimicking its lines, glass cockpit canopy and overall clean design.

Designer: Feliciano Ruy-Díaz

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What is the Future of Kitchen Technology ?

The role of the kitchen in our homes has changed dramatically over the years. What used to be a space simply used for food preparation has now become the hub of the home. Today, cooking is accompanied by a greater variety of activities such as entertaining, socialising, dining, working, laundry etc. As our use of the kitchen has changed, the technology that is used within it has had to adapt to meet our needs. (video)

Nobody knows what the kitchen of the future will look like but with each new technological advancement the realms of possibility are extended ever further. In order to find out what exactly we can expect to see in terms of technology in the kitchen appliances of the future

Below is a short animation showing the Electrolux Heart of the Home kitchen concept. It is a thought
provoking vision of the kitchen of the future – an integrated solution functioning as a kitchen table, cooking surface and bar all in one.

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filed under: electrolux, future kitchen

New skyscraper in Mumbai to get floating pool balconies

Mumbaikars are in for a treat. Real estate firm Wadhwa Group is all set to construct two new exclusive residential towers in the Borivali district of Mumbai that will feature the stunning and futuristic vision created especially for the skyscrapers by cyber architect James Law. Apart from the regular state of the art features that help the building reduce energy consumption like energy efficient glass facades, the modern design of the eco friendly residential complex will also feature swimming pools integrated into standard balconies.

Fitted at the edge of each apartment's balcony, the series of swimming pools are one of the most stunning and most ambitious architectural features to have ever been attempted anywhere in the world for a residential building.

Apart from the eye-popping feature, the Aquaria Grande residential complex boasting of two 37-storey towers will feature an enormous car park with three levels of vehicle parking space, a sustainable podium garden and a fully equipped clubhouse with a gym and sauna to sustain the luxury lifestyle of Mumbai’s elite. Each of the 200 apartments in the complex is fitted with features that allow optimum cross ventilation and natural light from three sides.

Construction of the luxuriant residential towers is already underway and we expect it to be home to the crème de la crème of Mumbai’s social elite upon completion.

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Volkswagen Aqua Concept

Imagined by young Chinese designer, 21 year old Yuhan Zhang, a recent graduate in Industrial Design with honors from the University Xihua-China, the “Volkswagen Aqua” is an amazing concept, a hybrid vehicle half way between a car and a hovercraft. The vehicle is powered by Hydrogen and propelled by impellers.