TECHNOLOGY : GPS UNTUK KESAN BASIKAL YANG DICURI

SpyBike GPS Tracker is like LoJack for bikes 

The National Bike Registry tells us that thousands of bikes are stolen every day in the United States alone, estimating a cost of around US$200 million per year. A stolen bike can take hundreds or thousands of dollars out of your pocket, leave you without a means of transit and turn into a frustrating, angering experience. 

The SpyBike Covert Bicycle GPS Tracker protects you from theft by tracking down your bike. They may deserve every expletive-laced, demeaning name in the book, but there's no denying that bike thieves are crafty, determined folks. Even if you lock your bike up, thieves have a way of cutting, prying, hammering and hacking through your line of defense ... or maybe they'll just saw the fence post that the bike is secured to. Since you're not a professional thief, it's difficult to protect your bike from every possible scenario, and your bike could get stolen even if you make every attempt to lock it securely. The chances of you getting the bike back are slim, and you may not see it again even if the police recover it. 

The SpyBike GPS tracker from Integrated Trackers gives you a second line of defense. You should still lock your bike, but if a thief happens to break it free, you have a means to get it back. The device mounts inside the headset, where it is hidden and unassuming. You use a special wrench to secure the device, so it's not easily removed. Activate the unit when you leave your bike using the accompanying electronic key ring. If the bike is taken before being deactivated with your key (i.e. stolen), the vibration sensor initiates the tracking system, which sends you an alert SMS message and begins uploading coordinates to the cloud every 20 seconds until the vibration stops. 

The unit will activate again when the vibration starts up (i.e. the thief is riding or transporting the bicycle), so you can continue keeping up on its whereabouts. You can keep track of the bike's location via Integrated Trackers' website, and then relay its location to the police. If you forgot to arm the unit before your bike was stolen, you can remotely activate it by sending an SMS message. It checks its messages automatically every six hours, so it will begin tracking when it gets your message. The tracking service is free, but users do have to equip the unit with a pay-as-you-go SIM card and will be charged for the data used in uploading coordinates. This may seem like an extra cost and work, but combined with the quad-band GSM modem, it allows the unit to work with nearly any mobile network in the world. You can configure it to the carrier that offers the best coverage in your area to ensure that it works when you need it. The unit uses GPRS to upload data, not SMS, and Integrated Trackers says it costs a fraction of a penny to send each update (in the U.K.). 

The SpyBike runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Integrated Trackers says that the battery can go for months between charges. The unit will send you an SMS message when the battery needs charging. The SpyBike does have some limitations. Because it relies on GPS, the device will stop operating effectively if your bike is taken inside or anywhere there isn't a clear view of the sky. In that case, the unit will step down to GSM cellular triangulation. 

The company says GSM is only accurate to about 650 feet (200 m), which could prove all but useless in a building-dense environment like the center of a city. In fact, even GPS's claimed 16 to 82 feet (5 to 25 m) accuracy won't necessarily bring you right to the thief's doorstep. Having a hidden tracking system keeping you updated on the bike's location will almost certainly increase your chances of recovery. 

By integrating it into the headset, Integrated Trackers makes it unassuming enough that thieves may not think to check for it, and difficult enough to remove that they won't be able to just pull it out or break it off. The remote activation feature is a smart inclusion that keeps the device active even if you don't have the key ring or your bike is forcibly stolen. 

The SpyBike starts at US$153.58. The following video shows you how it works in a theft scenario. 

 Source: Integrated Trackers

TECHNOLOGY : ALAT PENGESAN GPS SAIZ SYILING DENGAN KUASA SOLAR

COIN SIZED RETRIEVOR SOLAR-POWERED GPS TRACKING DEVICE

 If you've ever wondered where you left the laptop or how your dog came home smelling like a frog pond, then a GPS tracking device might seem like a good idea. The trick is to find one small enough to be practical and doesn't need its batteries replaced every day. 

The Retrievor RET-100 is a self-contained, solar-powered GPS tracker no wider than a US quarter that is looking to find a way to market via a crowdfunding campaign. According to its creators, the Retrievor tracker uses the smallest, fully integrated GPS module with on‐board antenna available. Measuring only 28 mm (1.1 in) wide with a thickness of 10 mm (0.3 in), it weighs only 12 g (0.4 oz) and tracks objects using a combination of GSM, GPRS, and GPS to provide redundancy and locate objects with an accuracy of to within 1.5 m (5 ft). 

 Retrievor is powered by a SiRFstarIV GPS processor, which allows the unit to work in areas that are often difficult for GPS to reach, such as indoors, thanks to firmware that detects changes in temperature and satellite signals, and updates its internal parameters to aid near-continuous navigation availability. 

The unit is waterproof to a depth of 3 m (10 ft) and power for the Retrievor comes from an integrated solar panel and motion charger feeding a 3.7 V lithium-ion battery, which can also be charged via micro USB. 

The  Retrievor works with free Android, iPhone and web apps that allow users to set “Geo-Zones” and have the device send a text, email or ringtone once it moves out of a predesignated area. The app also maps the Retrievor's location, including speed, distance traveled, and route taken, and can track several units at one time. 

There’s also a multi-purpose attachment clip that hooks the tracker to things, such as pet collars. A $169 pledge to the indiegogo campaign that is running through November 14 is the minimum to reserve a Retrievor device. 

Deliveries are expected to begin in January, provided the campaign reaches its goal. If the campaign is successful, the retail price will be set at $299. Use of Retrievor will require a US$1.79 monthly subscription fee charged annually in advance, with tracking of additional units to cost $1.59 a month. However, supporters of the indiegogo campaign will have their subscription fee waived for the first year.

TECHNOLOGY : SIMPAN CAS ELEKTRIK DALAM CIP SILIKON

SILICON SUPERCAPACITOR 

 Silicon supercapacitor could store electricity inside a silicon chip A team of researchers at the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee has designed a supercapacitor made primarily of silicon that has shown much improved power density over its commercially available alternatives. The advance could allow for interesting integration of battery technology in everyday electronics, from solar cells to smartphones. 

Supercapacitors store electricity by gathering ions on the surface of two plates soaked in an electrolyte solution. Because the number of ions that can be stored depends on the surface area of the plates, these are usually coated with materials, such as activated carbon, that are highly porous at the nanometric scale. 

While supercapacitors can't quite match the energy storage capabilities of lithium-ion batteries, they can absorb and release charge much more rapidly and have a significantly longer lifespan. Today, supercapacitors are used in applications ranging from stabilizing the power supply in portable electronics to supporting the KERS system in Formula 1 cars. 

Scientists have tried to improve on the amount of energy that supercapacitors can store by depositing even more porous materials materials such as carbon nanotubes on their plates, but these attempts have only produced marginal improvements that have been hard to replicate consistently. 

Assistant professor Cary Pint and his colleagues at Vanderbilt chose to attack the problem from a new and unusual angle by attempting to build a capacitor out of porous silicon. At first this seemed like an unlikely path, since silicon is known to react strongly with the electrolyte, disrupting the working mechanism of supercapacitors. 

On the other hand, the electronics industry is very familiar with ways to manipulate silicon precisely and make it highly porous. Pint and his colleagues coated the porous silicon in carbon and heated the ensemble to about 800° C (1500° F). The process formed a layer of graphene only a few nanometers thick that insulated the silicon from the electrolyte while retaining its highly porous structure. 

The researchers found that supercapacitor plates manufactured in this fashion were up to 40 times more energy-dense than those made out of the "naked" silicon, and achieved a performance that significantly improved on current commercial supercapacitors.

TECHNOLOGY : Aeromobil flying car prototype

KERETA TERBANG : TERBANG BUAT PERTAMA KALI 

There is a saying in flying: “If it looks good, it will fly well.” Stefan Klein, a designer from the Slovak Republic, has announced the first flight of his Aeromobil Version 2.5, a flying car prototype he has been developing over the last 20 years. 

This vehicle is a strikingly beautiful design with folding wings and a propeller in the tail. But will its flight capabilities match its looks? The Aeromobil V2.5 is a propeller-driven aircraft that also functions as an automobile – or you can think of it it a car with lofty aspirations. The aviation aspects seem to be prominent in the design, with a streamlined cockpit, super light weight, and sleek tail fins in the back. Propulsion is provided by a 100 hp Rotax 912 water cooled engine mounted behind the seats, with drive shafts leading both aft to the propeller and forward to the two front wheels for driving. This project is not the only flying car around. There is also the US-based Terrafugia, which folds up its wings vertically on the sides of the vehicle. There is also a Dutch design called the PAL-V, where the ground vehicle is a three wheeled tilting motorcycle that turns into a gyrocopter at the airport. 

 When the Automobil is a car, the wings are folded straight back along the fuselage and the engine drives the front wheels, while the small back wheels support the tail. There seems to be very little structure, and the entire vehicle weighs just 980 lb (450 kg) empty of fuel and passengers. There is room for two people in the very snug cockpit, and there are two steering wheels, mounted one inside the other in front of the driver/pilot. The larger wheel is for driving on the ground, and the smaller wheel is used for flying. As shown in the video below, when the Aeromobil gets to the airport, the driver/pilot pushes a button and the wings fold out for a wingspan of 8.2 m (27 ft), which is comparable to other light sport aircraft of similar weight and power. The large flaps (moveable surfaces on the trailing edge of the wing) in this prototype flip over the wing and hang down to add lift for takeoff with the entire wing also tilting up a few degrees to assume the proper angle to the wind for takeoff. The driver switches the gearbox to send power back to the propeller that is mounted at the very end of the vehicle between the two vertical tails. The Aeromobil then takes to the runway and accelerates for takeoff. In the video the airplane stays near the runway, as you would expect with a first flight. The airplane mode of the Aeromobil would have a top speed of 200 kph (124 mph) and a range of over 700 km (430 miles). 

 Klein says that in car mode the Aeromobil fits into a standard parking space and can be refueled at the same gas station as all the other cars – in other words, it does not require special aviation fuel like most aircraft. The flying car is extremely lightweight, coming in at less than half the weight of a compact car like the Ford Fiesta, which weighs 1,041 kg (2295 lbs). The structure is a steel tube frame with a carbon fiber composite shell, a configuration familiar to fans of racing cars. The Aeromobil is a prototype intended to demonstrate to investors that the concept is viable. Klein is now shopping this striking flying vehicle to potential manufacturers and investors in order to make it a reality. Once such a deal is struck, he estimates that it would take two additional years to get certification for the Aeromobil to go into production, presumably under the existing Light Sport Aircraft rules. 

 Over the twenty year gestation of this flying car concept, Klien has created four different versions of his dream. The first version did not have folding wings at all, but was a boxy canard (tail first) design with tall wheels. The next versions featured the signature folding wings, but different tail configurations. Version 2.0 had an inverted V-shaped tail and this last version 2.5 was the first with two vertical tail fins enclosing the wheels. His web site shows drawings for Version 3.0. Klein has a very interesting background, with degrees both in mechanical engineering, and in fine arts. He originally wanted to be a sculptor, but received his engineering degree first. He later studied design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, the Slovak Republic and became the head of the Department of Transport Design at that school. 

As a professional, he worked on car designs for Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen, and won a national design award for a three-wheeled electric scooter, which he still drives to work each day. Flying is in the Klein family, however, and his grandfather, father and brother are all pilots. He started flying as a teenager with his brother, and today flies both powered aircraft and gliders. For the Aeromobil, he is also the chief test pilot, which in unusual in these days of large aerospace companies. 

 Klein calls his Aeromobil flying car “the intersection of technology and art.” You can judge this for yourself by checking out the following video in which Klein demonstrates the road driving characteristics and then shows the first flight of the Aeromobil flying car.

Source : AUTOSME.sk

USS Enterprise

Engineer proposes $1 trillion USS Enterprise

An anonymous electrical and systems engineer going only by the moniker BTE-Dan has posted surprisingly detailed plans for a full-scale, functioning Starship Enterprise that he claims could be built in 20 years. Though it may be tempting to scoff at such lofty ambition, the Build the Enterprise website (up all of one week) includes specifications, costs, mission plan and funding strategies, all suggesting that a serious amount of thought has gone into creating a real world counterpart to the icon spaceship of the TV and movie series, Star Trek. 

The project appears to be born of Dan's frustration with humankind's present spacefaring efforts. Dan more or less dismisses the International Space Station for its lack of gravity and cramped quarters, describing its toilet facilities as "comical and primitive," and musing how the money may have been better spent. Dan's answer? A full-scale USS Enterprise similar in form, dissimilar in function to that of the TV and movie series; that would operate as "a spaceship, a space station and a spaceport," and be home to a thousand people. 

Though similar in scale and appearance to the USS Enterprise ("it ends up that this ship configuration is quite functional," Dan writes), the "Gen1 Enterprise" would be functionally very different. Firstly, the main nuclear-powered ion engine (boasting 1.5 GW of power) would strictly limit the Enterprise to intra-solar system missions, being incapable of anything approaching faster-than-light speeds. However, Dan claims that the Gen1 would be capable of reaching Mars from Earth within ninety days, and reaching the Moon in three. Comparatively rudimentary compared to the NCC-1701 portrayed on screen, Dan's Gen1 proposal is somewhat analogous to the real world "Tricorder" we looked at last month, being one imaginary technology scaled back to meet present day technological possibilities - though obviously this is a rather more ambitious scheme. Dan claims that the Gen1 would have ample living space and could generate gravity of 1 g. 

This would be created by a rotating magnetically-suspended gravity wheel housed within the Enterprise's familiar saucer-shaped section. A counter-rotating ring is also proposed in order to prevent the body of the ship rotating. Dan suggests that the second ring might be filled with water, propellant, or other materials that would be needed aboard ship.

5G WiFi

With wireless home networks becoming increasingly crowded as more and more mobile devices appear under our roofs jostling for bandwidth, many will be pleased to see the upcoming 802.11ac WiFi standard stepping out from the planning meetings and laboratories and into the real world. Both Netgear and Belkin have announced plans to release dual-band routers supporting the new 5G WiFi standard that will boast speeds of up to 1,300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 450 Mbps on 2.4 GHz. 

While Netgear has announced its R6300 Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Router, Belkin is yet to make any specific product announcements. However, Netgear’s R6300 and Belkin’s upcoming line of wireless dual-band routers will feature Broadcom’s fifth generation (5G WiFi) 802.11ac chip. First unveiled at CES 2012, Broadcom says the first family of 802.11ac chips are three times faster and up to six times more power efficient than their 802.11n predecessors. With the range of the average dual band 802.11n router also decreasing sharply as distance from the router increases, the 802.11ac WiFi standard promises a boost in range capabilities and reduction in "dead spots" through advances such as Beamforming technology that directs content in the direction of the intended receiver.

What does 1.3 Gbps mean for the average user? HD video mostly, as the increased bandwidth ensures that the router can handle multiple devices streaming full resolution video, which could make a big difference in the home filled with iPads and Smart TVs, all connecting to streaming services. In contrast, for power users who subscribe to top tier speeds from their internet provider, an AC router could essentially render your stash of Ethernet cables useless, thanks to blazing download speeds once reserved for wired connections only. 

Much like B, G, and N, the AC standard of Wi-Fi will gradually take over the landscape of home networking. Of course, you'll need to upgrade not only your router, but your various wireless devices to get the full benefits of the shift to 802.11ac. Thankfully, routers built around Broadcom's 802.11ac chip are backwards compatible with all legacy 802.11 standards. 

Netgear's R6300 Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Router will be available this month for US$199.99, while we expect Belkin to announce details of its 802.11ac compatible dual-band router line in the near future. Source: Broadcom, Netgear, Belkin

The triple barrel, 18-shot Pistola con Caricato revolver

The Pistola con Caricato is a three-barreled revolver with 18 chambers in 6.35 x 16 mm semi-rimmed caliber (Photo: Horst Held)

On the left is seen the selector slide that chooses which of the firing pins (on the right) will be activated when the revolver is fired (Photo: Horst Held)


The revolver uses moon clip speedloaders to hold the 18 rounds of ammunition, thereby greatly reducing the difficulty of loading and reloading the gun (Photo: Horst Held)

A host of unusual firearms have been floated and (mostly) abandoned over the two centuries of largely trial-and-error design. After our recent coverage of Arsenal Firearm's AF2011-a1 double barrel semiautomatic pistol, we wondered if more extreme versions of multi-barrel repeating handguns existed. The outlandish Pistola con Caricato three-barreled revolver is a definite candidate. This revolver was manufactured in Italy during the early part of the 20th century, complete with three barrels and 18 chambers in 6.35 x 16 mm semi-rimmed caliber (.25 ACP). 

While rather more bulky than one would want in a pocket handgun, 18 shots would provide a certain feeling of security in back alleys and dark lanes. The only markings visible on the gun appear in the following photograph. They indicate that the revolver was made in Italy, and was given the name Pistola con Caricato. Caricato is an Italian word meaning either "stuffed" or "caricature" - either definition could apply to this rather strange handgun. After the name of the gun appears the marking "01-CAL .6.35." 

In addition to identifying the caliber of the revolver, the 01 suggests that it may be a prototype, as does the rather sloppy stamping of the characters. If so, it does not appear to have made it into production, as there is virtually no historical record of this gun. There are additional markings in the photo, but they have been worn into illegibility. The view of the barrels from beneath shows that the bluing of the gun has probably been taken off during polishing, which may also explain the worn markings. The 6.35 x 16 mm cartridge is traditional for light pocket handguns, as it is so low in power that safely containing the firing pressure does not require thick (and hence heavy) metal. In fact, the 6.35 x 16 mm cartridge is the lowest power standard cartridge still in manufacture, save for the rimfire .22 short. 

Having a impact momentum about one-fifth that of serious self-defense ammo, it is normally considered no substitute for a more powerful firearm. The revolver has four firing settings and a safety. The selector (above left) allows the shooter to select which firing pin and barrel will be used to fire the gun, and it also has an option to fire all three barrels on each pull of the trigger. There is also a mechanical safety that prevents the hammer from hitting any of the firing pins. 

The Pistola Con Caricato also made an early use of moon clips, as seen above, to load and unload cartridges from the gun. Moon clips were first introduced around 1908, and only became common in revolvers used in the First World War. The moon clips for the Pistola Con Caricato sandwiches the 18 rounds between a holding plate and a firing access plate, through which the firing pins strike the cartridges. 

With 18 rounds that just drop in and the top-break loading design, the gun must have been a quick loader. Little solid history is associated with this handgun, again supporting the notion that it may have been a once-off prototype. It is rumored that this revolver once belonged to the firearms collection of the Smithsonian Institution, but confirmation of this claim has proven elusive. Unfortunately, the Pistola Con Caricato has apparently been sold to a Russian collector, so if you were looking to add a triple-barrel pistol to your collection, you'll probably have to make one yourself. 

Source: Horst Held

TECHNOLOGY : Audi's Wörthersee e-bike concept

Audi has announced that it will debut a new performance e-bike prototype at next week's Wörthersee Tour car show in the picturesque village of Reifnitz, Austria. Described as a high-end pedelec for sport, fun and tricks, the Audi e-bike Wörthersee features a futuristic carbon fiber frame that houses an onboard computer and a Li-ion battery pack, and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheels - both designed to keep the weight down. The prototype offers five travel modes, ranging from pedal-power to electric-only, and inclusive of two "Wheelie" modes where the power is automatically controlled to assist the rider while the front wheel grabs some air. 

The new e-bike prototype will share Audi's exhibition stand at the Lake Wörthersee car show with 16 current production models, including the new A3, and three new takes on the Q3 compact - the Audi Q3 red track, the Audi Q3 jinlong yufeng - or "Golden Dragon in the Wind" - and the Audi RS Q3 concept. The auto manufacturer says that its new sport bike concept does not fit into any of the usual categories. Audi's designers are responsible for every component of the e-bike, which features a lightweight carbon-fiber frame that tips the scales at a featherweight 3.53 pounds (1,600 g) reinforced only at load points, 26-inch CFRP rims with large-area blade-pattern spokes that weigh just 1.32 pounds (600 g) each and a CFRP swing arm for the rear wheel. All of which helps towards a total bike weight of 46.3 pounds (21 kg) including the swappable in-frame 48V/530Wh Li-ion battery pack. Charge time is reported to be 2.5 hours from a 230V mains supply. The permanent magnet synchronous motor has a peak output of 2.3 kW, delivers a maximum torque of 250 Nm to the rear wheel, has been placed at the lowest point on the frame and drives the bottom bracket shaft directly. 

The e-bike's nine-speed hydraulically actuated gear shift is reported to have a similarly fast sequential action to the R-tronic transmission in an Audi R8. Riders can run through five travel programs including a pedelec mode, where the e-bike is said to achieve a top speed of up to 50 mph (80 km/h) with a range of between 31 and 44 miles (50 - 70 km) per charge. In electric-only mode with a twistgrip controlling the power output, the top speed is 31 mph (50 km/h). Pulling extended wheelies gets some help from the control system, with a "Power Wheelie" mode for less skilled riders that oversees an adjustable wheelie angle, and a "Balanced Wheelie" mode for more experienced riders where the balance is maintained electronically. The latter mode sees the motor either accelerating or slowing down the e-bike as the rider's weight shifts forward or back. 

Users can select riding modes, record trick sequences and adjust operation functions using the on-board computer's touchscreen display positioned within the top bar of the frame, which also shows speed, distance, battery level, energy consumption and slope angle. Operation can also be controlled using a WLAN-linked smartphone (an antenna is integrated into the front brake line), that's also used to deactivate the immobilizer. Video images captured by the smartphone can be uploaded to the web or sent direct to an online trainer program. Successful completion of tricks is rewarded by increased ranking and challenge difficulty, and online rankings can be viewed on the e-bike's display via Facebook. 

Completing the versatile prototype's specs are hydraulic disk brakes front and rear, upside-down, air-sprung suspension at the front with 5.12 inches (130mm) of travel, LED lighting that's integrated into the handlebar and the seat and the ability to continuously adjust seat height using a control on the handlebar. Vistors to the Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda Wörthersee Tour car show 2012 - which runs from May 16 to 19 in Reifnitz, on the Wörthersee in Carinthia, Austria - can also look forward to demonstrations of skill from trial biker Julien Dupont and women's downhill specialist Petra Bernhard. 

Source: Audi via Inhabitat

CONCEPT PHONE BLACKBERRY EMPATHY

AirMouse - the mouse that fits you like a glove

It’s no secret... Studies have shown that excessive mouse usage can cause repetitive stress injuries. Unfortunately for most of us, “excessive” can mean anything more than a few hours a day. Fortunately, however, there are alternative styles of mice out there designed to be easier on the hands and arms. One of the more interesting ones to come along in a while is the AirMouse, made by Canadian firm Deanmark Ltd. What makes it unique is the fact that you wear it like a glove.

Deanmark founders Mark Bajramovic and Oren Tessler met in university, where Mark learned first-hand (no pun intended) what it’s like to OD on mousing. “Half way through our first year, I developed a computer mouse related RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury) and lost the use of my right hand and arm for several weeks,” he tells us. “Numbness, pain, most things that you hear about with RSI’s, I had it.” Later that semester, Mark and Oren heard about an ergonomic mouse being marketed in Europe. While they thought that particular product wasn’t perfect, it got them thinking about designing their own. The AirMouse is the result.

The wireless mouse utilizes an optical laser, and can run for a week without recharging. According to the company website, the clinically-tested product works by aligning itself with the ligaments of your hand and wrist. This lets you keep your hand in a neutral position, and transmits more of your vector force than would be possible with a regular mouse. Not only does this make it easier on your hand, but it increases your mousing speed and accuracy as well. The mouse is also designed to remain inactive until your hand is placed in a neutral, flat position, so you can easily go back and forth between typing and mousing. Other ergonomic designs have strayed from the AirMouse’s style of traditional flat, one-dimensional mousing, but Mark and Oren’s market research indicated that consumers tend to reject such products.

The AirMouse should be available for purchase within the next 6 to 12 months, at a price of $US129.

Deonet announces world's smallest USB memory stick

Dutch manufacturer Deonet is to launch the world's smallest USB storage stick in January.

Just when you think that USB Flash storage can't possibly get any smaller, a company pops up with something so tiny that you're going to need the corded fob to make sure you don't lose it. Dutch promotional product manufacturer Deonet - maker of the diamond-studded Golden USB memory stick and the FSC-certified, maple-enclosed Eco Wood drive - has announced just such a portable storage solution, and is the latest to claim the title of the world's smallest USB stick.

The new 19.5 x 14.5 x 2.9 mm USB stick - which is slightly thicker but a good deal shorter than the Super Stick Mini from Kingmax, that I've often quoted as being the smallest - will be available in 4, 8 or 16GB capacity versions when it's launched at PSI Düsseldorf this coming January.

It's based around something called the Micro UDP chip (where UDP stands for the USB Disk In Package assembly process, which sees the controller, flash IC, substrate and passive components molded into a very small, single package), which is less than half the physical size of other USB memory solutions.

The company says that once plugged into the USB port, it hardly protrudes at all so can be left in - in much the same way as the full-USB-plug-toting MosKeyto from LaCie, which looks like one of those nifty wireless peripheral transmitters - for extra storage or boot power.

At the time of writing, Deonet has not revealed pricing for the new drive. We'll keep you updated.

Bridgestone's airless tires are designed to never go flat

Bridgestone's airless tires are made from entirely recyclable material.

The week at the Tokyo Auto Show in Japan, Bridgestone showed off its latest development - puncture-less air-free tires. The tires are still in the concept phase, but have been successfully tested on single-person vehicles in Japan traditionally used for elderly people.

The 9-inch wheels have thermoplastic-resin spokes that radiate from the rim to the tread, curving to the left and right for maximum structural support. The tires' solid design doesn't require air, and consequently can't be punctured - so, no more flat tires.

Also interesting is the material the tires are made of, which is entirely recyclable.

Still in the testing phase, Bridgestone plans to heavily evaluate the tires' performance on traditional cars before making them available to the general public.

While certainly interesting, Bridgestone's tires aren't the first we've heard of to go air-free. Airless tire technology has been under investigation for years, with Michelin's airless Tweel tires even winning the Intermat Gold Medal for Innovation in 2006.