Future tech

Updated at 12:25 p.m. on Saturday with notes about Hearst's plans to charge for some content online.

It looks as if the e-paper revolution is really about to start.

Hearst, one of the largest media conglomerates in the world, announced on Friday that it has developed an electronic reader for newspapers and magazines, the way Amazon.com's new Kindle does for books. The publisher is also planning to put at least some of its online content behind a pay wall, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The e-reader news, first reported by Fortune magazine, … Read more

Over the past few months, Sony Japan has been marketing its Walkman brand of MP3 players with short, online videos showcasing experimental Japanese musicians. Personally, as someone who loves weird music, I think these video shorts are amazing. I'm not sure if they do anything to make me want to buy a Walkman, but I'm certainly convinced that the Japanese experimental music scene is alive and well.

The video above shows off Atsuhiro Ito, a musician who plays a mic'd up fluorescent tube called the Optron, which he runs through a series of guitar effects. The video … Read more

Good: double amputee gets prosthetic legs so she can walk. Better: double amputee gets realistic-looking mermaid tail so she can swim. Awesome: it's developed and built by Weta, the special-effects company that did work for the "Lord of the Rings" movies, as well as "King Kong" and "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.

Nadya Vessey's legs were amputated below the knee when she was a child due to illness. At one point, reports Stuff, a child asked her what happened to her legs and she told him she was a mermaid. The idea … Read more

REDMOND. Wash.--First, Microsoft showed off its tabletop Surface computer. Then it showed what that might be like as a sphere. At TechFest on Tuesday, Microsoft actually let the user get inside the sphere.

Microsoft's latest surface computing prototype uses a dome constructed from cardboard that serves as a giant display for all kinds of three-dimensional data. The main demo at TechFest featured the dome acting as a planetarium using data from Microsoft's Worldwide Telescope project. But, researcher Andy Wilson also showed the dome as a good backdrop for other things, such as video conferencing or mapping.

Since it operates in the dark, the new surface computer relies largely on speech commands and hand gestures for navigation. Although it is probably a good choice in general, it made for some laughs when the speech recognition proved less than perfect.

"Earth," Wilson said, prompting the computer to bring up a perfectly stunning image--of Mars.

Overall, though, the experience was quite impressive, with Wilson taking me through a rapid fire tour from Venus to the Crab Nebula before showing a 360-degree video image of the TechFest show floor. (I shot a couple of videos that I am working to upload now and will embed in the story once I have done so).

Beyond researchers, though, there is the question of who is going to have the space for their own dome. Although the cardboard dome wasn't that expensive to build, not everyone is going to want to carve out a separate dome room in their house. With a somewhat brighter projector, the same effect could be done in a fairly dark room, Wilson said. … Read more

Now here's a concept timepiece that could literally stand the test of time.

The brainchild of designers Christophe Koch and Lea Kobeli, Time-aid is a custom-made wristwatch that relies on the imaginary Timex clock network. In short, it's capable of displaying clock faces around the world via a live satellite feed. If you are in London, you could be looking at the Big Ben on your wrist, or the tower clock at the Star Ferry terminal if you are in Hong Kong.

The solar-powered concept is waterproof up to more than 16,000 feet and makes use of … Read more

The Volkswagen Passat Lingyu is the latest fuel cell vehicle to join the testing program at the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento, Calif., according to an announcement issued last week by the German carmaker.

Volkswagen recently imported 16 of the zero-emissions fuel cell electric vehicles that were developed in partnership with scientists from Tongji University and debuted at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The Lingyu uses hydrogen to power an electric motor, and produces only water and oxygen as emissions.… Read more

I have friends who are girls. As girls, they tend to have boobs. And because of this they wear bras. Having dated girls (I know!), I've observed how frequently girls sometimes have to buy new bras, theirs getting bent out of shape, and the silk getting creased. It's not just about looks; the distorted bras can be downright uncomfortable (from what I hear).

Here comes the science. InventorSpot tells us a woman named Katy has invented this patent-pending device called the Bra Dryer which, get this, dries bras in a more constructive fashion. By allowing this machine to … Read more

Many folks spend a lot time wondering when the next iPhone will arrive and what new features it will have. Call it the cult of iPhone, cult of Apple, or just good old tech fetishism, but whatever it is, it's always fun when someone pokes a little fun at the whole Apple hype machine with a little spoof. In this case, it's a YouTube video called iPhone Everything by Canadian filmmakers the Purchase Brothers. We came across it when we were checking out their cool Half-Life inspired Escape From City 17 video.

The whole concept revolves around the … Read more

The city of San Francisco is installing three EV (electric vehicle) charging stations across the street from city hall as part of a two-year pilot project to promote electric vehicle use, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday at a press conference.

The Smartlet Networked Charging Stations supplied by Coulomb Technologies will serve hybrid electric plug-in vehicles from Zipcar, City CarShare, and the city's municipal fleet, according to a statement from the mayor's office.

Because the EVs will be readily available for daily rental, skeptics and enthusiasts alike will have a chance to see what it's like to drive an electric car for a day.… Read more