Tech Explained: Cinematic Reality
In 2014, an unknown startup named Magic Leap raised just over half a billion US dollars to develop a technology called “cinematic reality” or cinematic virtual reality (CVR). While Magic Leap has yet to release a consumer product, the idea of cinematic reality is catching on in a broader way. So, what is cinematic reality…
Transparent solar panels make any object an energy collector
Spotted: Developed by a team of researchers at Michigan State University, the transparent luminescent solar concentrator absorbs nonvisible wavelengths of light. The transparency allows for the concentrator’s use on almost any surface, potentially transforming architecture and screen-based technology. The luminescent panel absorbs ultraviolet and near-infrared light and then guides it to the edge of the…
iRobot 2.0: How the company set itself up for its next-gen robots
iRobot 2.0: How the company set itself up for its next-gen robots – TechRepublic iRobot 2.0: How the company set itself up for its next-gen robots iRobot launched the Roomba S9 and Braava Jet M6 with plans for a lawn mower on deck. It took a lot of IoT, data science, product design, and cloud…
Bio-lab box brings gene editing technology to your door
Spotted: US-based Feles Inc wants you to learn how to biohack. Its Feles One kit is a lab in a box that allows you to do everything from make cheese to DIY paternity tests. Feles cofounders say they were inspired to create the box to make biofabrication and gene editing more accessible. Co-founder Yixiao Jiang…
App makes a worker’s wages available on any day of the month
Spotted: London-based Wagestream has built an app that allows staff to collect a percentage of their wages on any day of the month. It costs a flat fee of £1.75 with no loans or interest. By not making UK workers wait until the end of the month to get paid, the company is aiming to…
German startup makes VR a group activity
Spotted: Munich-based startup Holodeck VR has developed Virtual Reality (VR) which allows up to 20 people to participate. The experience sees the participants move around in an empty space of 10×20 metres wearing VR goggles. Holodeck’s experiences combine real and digital environments, allowing people to be immersed in a virtual but realistic world. The startup…
South Korean mall uses exterior lighting to indicate air pollution levels
Spotted: The Seoul-based Hanwha Galleria shopping mall is using media art installed on its exterior to inform pedestrians of fine-dust levels. The feature uses red and green colour hues of to indicate the levels of pollution. For example, if fine-dust concentration is at elevated levels, the lighting on the exterior of the Galleria will be…
A rare, ethical approach to making hair extensions
Remy New York is bringing much-needed transparency the booming hair extension industry, which is rarely regulated. While most operations are coy about where their hair comes from for the extensions and wigs they create, Dan Choi’s fair-trade business is completely open about its supply chain. The “virgin remy” hair used by Remy New York is…
UK hair salon replaces mirrors with artwork
Spotted: South London-based DKUK hair salon has customers looking at artwork rather than their own reflections when getting their hair done. Designed by Sam Jacob Studio, the concept is aiming to redefine how art and work can come together by replacing mirrors with artwork. If this worries you, customers can still see their finished hair.…
Self Expression is About Other People
The modern business world is all about conveying a lot of information digitally for those times when you can’t be face to face with your customer. It is the perfect opportunity for a massive company to bring a down-to-earth personable set of interactions to people who they hope to serve, and it’s a chance to…