From genetically-engineered glowing plants and 3D-printed food, it often seems that our technological reality had finally entered the realm of science fiction. But the way we interact with our computers and mobile devices hasn’t changed radically. Anew device from Thalmic Labs aims to change that. Meet the Myo, an armband that uses the body’s natural movements to manipulate electronics.

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Post tags: 3d printed food, armband, digital command, Electricity, forearm, gesture, glowing plants, Google Glass, haptic feedback, microvolt, movement, muscle, myo, stephen lake, thalmic labs

UK teenager Patrick Kane just became the first person in the country to be fitted with latest version of Touch Bionics’ i-Limb Ultra- a prosthetic hand so advanced that it can be controlled via a smart phone app. The i-Limb Ultra can assume 24 different grips with the option of gradually increasing the strength of its grasp, and—according to its makers—it is currently the most advanced and anatomically correct artificial limb on the market.

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Post tags: artificial limbs, artificial skin, i-Limb Ultra, i-Limb Ultra prosthetic hand, innovative technology, prosthetic device, prosthetic fingers, prosthetic technology, prosthetics, smart phone apps, Touch Bionics

Just when you thought that your phone was the only gadget you need to worry about, the battle is beginning to heat up over smartwatches. Samsung recently revealed its plans to release a wristwatch-style computer; Sony released an Android-powered model last April; and rumors of an Apple producing an “iWatch” are running rampant. The question of whether smart watches will be as indispensable as their handheld counterparts still remains to be seen, but tech companies are eager to explore this relatively untapped market.

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Post tags: Apple watch, computer watch, digital watch, eco-fashion, high-tech fashion, high-tech watch, iWatch, Samsung smartwatch, Smartwatch, Sony smartwatch, wristwatch

Google is set to begin shipping its first set of Google Glass headsets to a select group of approved users – and although the glasses components were made by Taiwanese Hon Hai Precision Industry, they will be manufactured close to Google’s home in Silicon Valley. The US-built glasses mark an ongoing trend wherein tech giants are moving some manufacturing jobs stateside.

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Post tags: augmented reality glasses, eco design, Google Glass, green design, sustainable design, Taiwan Hon Hai Preciscion Industry

Last year, the Gates Foundation held a competition to redesign the toilet. Turning its sights from sanitation to overpopulation, the nonprofit has now announced a challenge to reinvent the condom. By way of the Grand Challenges in Global Health Program, a grant of $100,000 will be awarded to those who develop the next generation of personal protection. The contest hopes to encourage the use of the simple, life-saving technology by making the latex prophylactic more fun, pleasurable, and attractive to couples around the globe.

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Post tags: bill & melinda gates foundation, challenges in global health program, condom, latex, origami condoms, pregnancy, prophylactic, reinvent, sex, silicone, std, stephen ward, university of washington

Compared to the creatures of the sea, the human body is somewhat inefficient underwater. With our gangly limbs and lack of fins or tails, it takes us a bit more effort to glide through the ocean. Designer Guillaume Binard has partnered with Aqua Lung to created Oceanwings, a wetsuit with neoprene membranes stretching from the arms to legs that give the wearer a sense of flying through the briny deep. Similar to the skydiving wingsuits, the smooth and slow flight experience is meant to morph our bipedal figures to be able to explore realms that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to experience.

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Post tags: aqua lung oceanwings, diver, flight, guillaume binard, membrane, neoprene, paris dive show, pierre frolla, skydiver, underwater, wingsuit

Embedded electronic implants have long been confined to the realm of science fiction, but the development of a new stretchable battery could soon make them a reality. A pair of scientists have developed a new type of lithium-ion battery that can stretch up to three times its original length and can be recharged wirelessly. The new battery, which is being developed by Northwestern University’s Yonggang Huang and the University of Illinois’ John A. Rogers, could signal a major breakthrough for electronics that can be implanted in the human body, like bionic eyes and heart monitors.

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Post tags: batteries, bionic eye, bionic implants, electronic implant, flexible batteries, green technology, John A. Rogers, lithium-ion batteries, Northwestern University, stretchable battery, university of illinois, wearable technology, wirelessly charged batteries, Yonggang Huang

Google just released a new video for Project Glass that shows the augmented reality glasses being used in real-world situations. Until now the device was tested only by Google employees, but the company has unveiled that they are ready to hand out the glasses to a select group of consumers who will aid in the product’s development and identify first-gen bugs. Those who want to get their hands on the prototype and become Google’s “Glass Explorers” have until February 27th to submit their applications.

Read the rest of Google Unveils New Project Glass Features, Announces Contest to Find Prototype Testers

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Post tags: Glass Explorers contest, Google, Google augmented reality glasses, google competition, Google Glass, Google Glass Project, Google technology, Google+ contest, high-tech glasses, prototype device, Twitter contest, Web-connected glasses, wireless gadgets

Argo Medical Technologies just unveiled a new generation of the ReWalk exoskeleton, a device that enables people with spinal cord injuries to sit, stand and walk. The ReWalk Rehabilitation 2.0 is a redesigned model that features an improved learning interface specially designed to support beginner users and is resizable in order to fit a broader range of patients.

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Post tags: Argo Medical Technologies, design for paraplegics, exoskeleton paraplegics, medical innovations, medical technology, motion sensors, patented medical technology, prosthetic devices, ReWalk Exoskeleton, ReWalk Rehabilitation, ReWalk Rehabilitation Suit

Soon, you may literally be staring into the future of augmented reality. Researchers from imec and The Centre of Microsystems Technology (CMST) at Ghent University in Belgium have developed a spherical, curved LCD display that can be placed into contact lenses. The prototype, which was presented earlier this month, can flash a patterned dollar sign à la Looney Tunes cartoon characters. While the lens can only create rudimentary patterns akin to those displayed by a pocket calculator, engineers predict fully autonomous electronic lenses in the neat future that can aid in eye disorders such damage to the iris or retina.

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Post tags: augmented reality, belgium, contact lens, dollar sign, ghent university, imec, jelle de smet, LCD, LED, looney tunes, the centre of microsystems technology

Motorists and cyclists may not always understand one another, but with the help of the MindRider, they’ll at least have one more avenue of communication. Developed by MIT student Arlene Ducao, the mind-controlled helmet flashes different colored lights depending on the rider’s stress levels. Using a NeuroSky Mindset, the MIT animator and computer programmer has developed a more elegant way to communicate on the road than flipping someone the bird.

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Post tags: arduino, arlene ducao, bluetooth, cyclist, eeg, electroencephalogram, helmet, LED, mindrider, MIT, neurosky mindset, RGB

“Smarter Socks” could only have come from one of the world’s wealthiest and most efficient nations. Based in Switzerland, BlackSocks sells packs of ten pairs of socks that are each fitted with radio-frequency ID buttons. After an accompanying wireless reader called the Sock Sorter is waved over one sock, whoever is matching the pairs need only wave the reader over the rest of the pile and when the right mate is located it will issue an identifying beep! Clever, and perhaps a way to curtail wasted socks. But this might also call for a resounding face palm. Hit the jump and take our poll: are these “smart” socks haute or not?

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Post tags: BlackSocks, clean tech, clothing for men, ecouterre, high tech socks, high-tech clothing, menswear, RFID chips, Smart Socks, Switzerland, wearable technology

Ironman kicks ass. And not just because that’s Robert Downey Jr. inside. The idea of an impermeable exoskeleton has fascinated humans since medieval knights designed the first metal armor. Now, NASA is working on a real-life version of Ironman’s fictional suit called the “X1″ that could help keep astronauts healthier in space, and make it possible for paraplegics to walk on Earth.

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Post tags: astronauts, disabilities, exercise, exoskeleton, Ironman, nasa, rehabilitation, robot, space, zero gravity

Read the rest of Top 6 Green Gadgets for Fall Camping

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Post tags: backpacks, camping, camping gadets, chargers, eco camping, green camping, green camping gear, green gadgets, green gadgets for camping, Pop Up Tents, Radios, sleeping bags, Solar Backpack, solar panels, Solar Power, solar radio

The University of Sheffield has collaborated with the London College of Fashion and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop a revolutionary liquid laundry additive called ‘CatClo’, which contains microscopic pollution-eating particles. The team behind the product says that the additive can be added to laundry to create clothes that purify the air as the wearer moves!

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Post tags: CatClo, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Fashion, laundry additive, London College of Fashion, nitrogen oxides, pollutants, pollution eating particles, pollution removal, university of sheffield

The ReWalk is a revolutionary exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to stand, walk, and even climb stairs. Designed by Argo Medical Technologies, the bionic suit enhances simple body movements in order to produce life-changing results. We have covered the ReWalk exoskeleton before, but this week Argo Medical Technologies and Cyclone Technologies announced that Claire Lomas has become the first person to take home an exoskeleton system for personal use!

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Post tags: Argo Medical Technologies, Claire Lomas, Cyclone Mobility, exoskeleton, International Spinal Cord Society, London Marathon, Paralympics, ReWalk, ReWalk Exoskeleton

Keep on top of your studies this year with the help of a Deckster Re:Class wristband! This snazzy design will transform your  iPod Nano into an eco-friendly timepiece that you’ll want to wear everywhere. Made from reclaimed backpacks and bicycle inner tubes destined for the dumpster, this stylin’ watchband comes in an array of versatile colors, including silver, red, and orange. Enter to win one after the jump!

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With the EyeRing, a new camera-equipped ring that takes photos and delivers them to a smart phone, “point and shoot” could take on a whole new meaning. The device, which is being developed by  Roy Shilkrot and Suranga Nanayakkara at MIT Media Lab, is meant to help the visually impaired navigate their surroundings. The remarkable, Bluetooth-connected device can serve as a “virtual cane,” which not only detects obstacles in its path but also reads signs, identifies currency, and perceives color.

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Post tags: augmented reality camera, camera ring, cameras, EyeRing, MIT, MIT Media Lab, Photography, ring, wearable camera

NASA has developed a brand-new spacesuit to replace their current version, which has been in use since 1992. The Z-1 spacesuit is currently a prototype, but it is hoped that it will play a key role in the planned manned mission to Mars in 2030. As you’d expect from NASA, the Z-1 is state-of-the-art in every way – and the designers have even looked at the human body for inspiration. In order to keep the astronauts cool while working in hostile environments, the Z-1 has been designed to use a water membrane evaporation cooler that cools using the same principle as sweating!

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Post tags: astronauts, biomimicry, manned mission to mars, mars 2030, nasa, NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems (AES), water membrane evaporation cooler, Z-1 Prototype Spacesuit and Portable Life Support System (PLSS) 2.0, Z-1 spacesuit, Z-2 spacesuit

Scientists at Harvard are working toward a “novel wearable system” that could prolong the physical endurance of soldiers in the field. While this may seem a bit too much like they’ll be saving Gotham City, ahem – real life Batsuits, the  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has already granted $2.6 million to the university’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering for the project.  Click ahead to read more about the high-tech suit and how it will delay the onset of fatigue.

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Post tags: darpa, darpa grant, harvard, military designs, performance enhancement, performance enhancement suit, smart suit, wearable technology, wyss institute