Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have ended up making major strides in powering mass transit systems over wireless protocols. The systems are called On-line Electric Vehicles (OLEV), and are actually already being tested on Korean roads today. If all goes well, they may switch to the new system permanently.

The technology uses inductive charging to wirelessly transmit electricity from the ground to coils underneath the floor of electric vehicles. The ground has embedded power cables that transmit electricity to the pick-up coils. So far during testing, engineers have recorded an 85% transmission efficiency with the cables and coils.

The technology is similar to what Utah State University is currently doing. Back in December, they introduced an inductive charging technology that involved the same wireless method, which would allows city buses to quickly charge up while waiting at a bus stop, an initiative that would cut down the amount of fuel needed drastically.

[via Txchnologist]

The new logo and livery will be introduced on the airline’s new and upcoming Boeing 777-300 airplanes at the end of the month, and have ordered hundreds of other new planes that will be delivered throughout the coming years. Many of the new planes will be made of composite materials to make them lighter. However, they must be painted over, making the iconic unpainted silver look of current AA planes no longer an option. Instead, though, the airline plans to paint them using silver mica paint that will at least maintain AA’s long-lasting heritage.

The new planes will features redesigned first- and business-class seats, and every seat on the new planes will feature all-new in-flight entertainment systems, as well as power outlets and WiFi access. The entertainment systems will feature a huge selection of movies, TV shows, music, and games.

Flight attendants will be equipped with Samsung Galaxy Note Tabs to better assist passengers, and pilots will be given iPads to “fly more efficiently” and to cut down on paper products to save on fuel costs. Gate agents at the airport will also be given mobile devices to help passengers check-in quicker by speeding up the boarding pass process and checking-in luggage.

[via Gizmodo]

After two fires caused my malfunctioning lithium-ion batteries were reported, the FAA has ordered all US airlines to ground their entire 787 fleet, and the administration also warned international airlines as well, and all of them have heeded the news and grounded their respective 787 Dreamliners.

The battery failures in question are said to possibly start a domino effect with on-board critical systems and structures, as well as the possibility of fire starting on board. The FAA has said that it’ll work with Boeing to come up with a plan to fix the issues and put the new aircrafts back in commission safely and quickly.

Currently, there are only six 787 Dreamliners in commission in the US, all which are operated by United Airlines. Furthermore, Japanese airlines operate 24 Dreamliners, with other international airlines operating 20 of the new planes. In total, there are 50 787 Dreamliners in operation, all of which have been grounded until further notice. United Airlines has said all passengers who were scheduled to fly on a 787 will be flying on different aircrafts for the time being.

[via WSJ]

This service will be working with your wireless device galore, including but not limited to your laptop, smartphone, and tablet. You’ll be able to get internet on the flight starting at $3.99 ranging all the way up to $19.99 depending on the service you’d like to work with. Standard prices range from $3.99 to $14.99 depending on how far you’ll be flying – that including basic speeds (the exact internet speed not being shared at the moment by United).

If you’re working with Accelerated internet, you’ll be paying between $5.99 and $19.99 USD – these prices also based on the length of flight you’ll be taking. The hardware being installed to make this all a reality is none other than Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s Ku-band satellite technology – this is different from air-to-ground technology being used by many national companies today.

The roll-out of this tech for you and I will be starting with two Airbus 319 aircraft right here at the start of 2013 with connectivity hitting 300 mainline aircraft by the end of this year – that’s a whole lot of connectivity! You’ll be able to work with this tech on Airbus 319 and 320 aircraft for starters as well as Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, 777 and 787 sooner than later!

It’s not live footage by any means, but the feature combines maps, satellite imagery, photos, social media updates, and the aircraft’s position to highlight landmarks below. This way, you can match up certain landmarks with what you’re seeing out of your window. The feature also tells you how fast you’re traveling and how much time there is remaining in the flight.

Obviously, you’ll need to be connected to WiFi in order to use the app, so you’ll have to flying on one of Delta’s 800 planes equipped with WiFi, which is most of their fleet anyways. The app also provides seating charts, check in, and flight tracker. Plus, there’s also Delta’s in-flight magazine if you feel like doing some light reading.

Delta also released an update today for its iPhone app, which includes everything you get with the iPad version, except for the “Glass Bottom Jet”. With version 2.0 for the iPhone, users will be able to find, compare, and book flights right from the device, and even add their eBoarding Pass to Passbook in iOS 6.

Fly Delta for the iPad is a free download and the update is available now in the iTunes App Store. The iPhone app is also a free download, and the update is available now.

Starting today, users will be able to use the UberTAXI service to request a regular DC taxi to pick them up. Users can do this via their smartphones and even pay with a credit card through the app as well. Of course, the company will offer their regular services in the DC area as well, so if you need a town car for a ride, Uber will have you covered.

So far, though, Uber-dispatched cabs will only be available for trips starting in the District, but they’ll be cheaper than a similar ride in a sedan or SUV, with passengers being charged a $2 taxi dispatch fee and 20% gratuity. The company notes that supply will be limited at first, since many taxis don’t fit Uber standards yet.

Future plans for the DC taxi service weren’t discussed, but we’re guessing that if things go well for Uber in the US capital, we can only assume that the company will further expand in the area, as well as other larger cities. So far, Uber is already in a number of cities, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and London.

The new rail line is still technically slower than flying, but it’s cheaper and potentially less stressful than tackling the trip by air. It’s certainly far more viable than the 20-hour rail trip that it’s replacing, and the new rail line could encourage more people to go with the train rather than flying, which wasn’t really a realistic option until now.

A total of 155 different train rides will run on the new line each day, and alternative schedules have been made for weekends and peak travel times. There will still be 183 rides running daily on the old Beijing-Guangzhou line that runs parallel to the new high-speed line, which will diminish concerns that the new line would increase passengers’ travel costs.

A second-class seat on the new high-speed line costs 865 yuan ($138), while a ticket on the old rail line sells for around 430 yuan ($69). Riding the train is definitely a cheaper alternative to flying, especially if you’re not in a big hurry and don’t mind being confined to a rail car for a majority of the day.

With the opening of the new Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed line, China now has almost 5,800 miles of high-speed railway in operation. The new rail line is one of four north-south lines expected to serve as the country’s high-speed railway backbone, which also features four east-west lines. By 2015, China is planning to have around 74,000 miles of railway in operation, including 11,100 miles of high-speed railway.

[via WSJ]

Image via Xinhuanet

While you’re at your desk, you can charge the V1 up with a power brick that’s apparently akin in size to that of a laptop. A full charge takes six hours, or you can top the bike up to 80-percent in four hours. Overall, the V1 is good for up to 25 miles of assisted cycling, with a maximum speed of up to 16mph.

The standard V1 is a Swiss Army Knife red, but Voltitude also has a special V1 Carbonesium limited edition that it likens to a luxury watch. That tunes the 250W motor for extra perkiness, and replaces parts of the frame, fork, bodywork, wheels, and other elements with magnesium and carbon fiber.

EasyFold Action:

That adds up to a weight saving of 1.5kg; with the battery in place, the regular V1 tips the scales at 27.5kg and the V1 Carbonesium at 26kg. It doesn’t come cheap, however; the V1 is up for pre-order at CHF 4,990 ($5,472) while the Cabonesium is CHF 7,990 ($8,762). They’ll ship on March 30 2013 and April 30 2013 respectively.

[via Gizmag]

Maglev trains, or more commonly known as “bullet trains”, travel on superconducting magnets under the tracks to levitate the train and allow it to travel with much less friction, allowing the trains to achieve much higher speeds, while also providing passengers with a smoother and quieter ride than conventional trains.

It’ll obviously be a very long time until the new trains get put into full service. The first line won’t be ready until 2027, and the Central Japan Railway Company plans to expand the route to serve Osaka by 2045, and will cost around $102 billion. The new trains will have 14 cars plus the cab car, which can accommodate 24 passengers, while the other cars will hold 68 each for a total of just over 900 passengers per train.

Currently, Japan’s maglev trains travel around 150 MPH and it takes around an hour and a half for the current-generation trains to complete the journey between Tokyo and Nagoya, but the new trains will be able to complete the trip in over half the time. Japan is looking at its train technology’s export potential, and says that there’s currently a maglev train system operating in China. However, no word on whether or not the train technology will spread to other parts of the world.

[via Phys.org]

Cardboard is traditionally made of wood pulp, just as paper is, and was invented back in the 19th century to work as sturdy packaging for the shipping of valuable objects. Here in the final form – or near-final form of the bike, no metal pieces will be included in its entirety, it instead relying solely on recycled materials to go forth and cruise. The cardboard that makes this bike a possibility is created with a top-secret set of processes and combinations of treatments that make it rigid, fireproof, and waterproof.

With the “secret concoction” made of entirely organic materials set in the formed and cut cardboard, it’s coated with lacquer paint and set for final construction. Here with the final mix, the bike will cost no more than $20 to purchase on the general market. Gafni notes that the current construction process has each bike made with materials that cost no more than $9 per unit.

“This is a real game-changer. It changes … the way products are manufactured and shipped, it causes factories to be built everywhere instead of moving production to cheaper labor markets, everything that we have known in the production world can change.” – Nimrod Elmish, Gafni’s business partner

Oddly it appears that Elmish and Gafni intend on using advertising to make a profit – perhaps by having a collection of Coca-Cola bikes produced? This bit is not entirely clear at the moment.

“Because you get a lot of government grants, it brings down the production costs to zero, so the bicycles can be given away for free. We are copying a business model from the high-tech world where software is distributed free because it includes embedded advertising.” – Elmish

Here at the start of the process, three models of bicycle and a wheelchair are set to be available for purchase within a year. The partners intend on having an “urban bike” produced in six months that’s assisted by an electric motor (which would require metal), and a youth bike that’s 2/3 normal adult sized bikes. There’ll also be a “balanced” bike (with training wheels) for the youngest customers and a wheelchair for non-profit groups.

[via Rueters; via FastCo]

The new UNI-CUB also has the world’s first omni-directional driving wheel system called Honda Omni Traction Drive System. The drive system allows the rider to control speed and move in any direction as well as turn and stop. There are no controls, all the driver has to do is shift their weight in the seat to control direction. Honda will start demonstrating the mobility device in June with the Japanese National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.

Testing with the museum will allow Honda to test the feasibility of using the mobility device indoors. The UNI-CUB measures 520 x 345 x 745 mm and has a seat height of 745 to 825 mm. Power for the motor comes from a lithium-ion battery and the devices has a top speed of 6 km/h. The range of a full charge is 6 km.

As impressive as a top speed of 186 mph is, it’s not the fastest train out there with a Maglev Train in China capable of 268 mph. Naturally, the train is Ferrari red considering that Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemoto is a major shareholder in the railway company. There will be 25 trains in the fleet manufactured by Alstom in France based on the AGV model.

The train has 11 cars and a capacity of 460 passengers in first class, business class, and economy class cars. All of cars will have leather seats, free Wi-Fi, and some will have screens in the ceiling. A ticket from Milan to Rome will cost about $60.

[via Cnet]

The GSMA have also stated that should the parties not reach an agreement in time, “comprehensive contingency plans” are ready to go for all participants of Mobile World Congress, allowing them all “unfettered” access to and from the Fira the entirety of all day of the event. The Barcelona government has reached out to the GSMA to assure them that they and Mobile World Congress attendees will not be affected during the events and that all participants will be able to arrive as well as depart the events completely safely and without disruption from the strikes.

We’ll certainly be watching this situation closely as we’ve got several parties headed to the Barcelona events, and certainly don’t want to be stopped from bringing you the reader all the greatest coverage on earth of the newest and most fabulous devices released in the mobile realm thus far. John Hoffman of the GSMA Mobile World Congress board has assured the entirety of the convention not to worry, and we sincerely hope he’s right. Seeya then – follow us around the event with our [MWC 2012 portal] – check it out now for all the rumors and tips heading into the events!

These things are like skates that you strap onto your shoes. They have two large front wheels and a small rear wheel. The drive wheels are battery powered and the motorized skates strap onto your normal shoes. All the electronics and controls for the drive is inside the frame made from reinforced nylon. Each skate has its own battery pack and motor inside. The skates have a single wireless remote that controls both spnKIX skates at one time. They have a variable speed control so you can go slowly or fast.

They also come with training wheels to keep you from wiping out until you learn how they work. Each skate is 9″ W x 10.5″ H x 9.5″ L and the max speed is up to 10 mph. Men’s shoes from size 6 to 14 will fit inside the skates. The cheapest pledge to get your own pair is $375 and you can get limited edition versions for $500 or $950. Normal retail price will be $649 when they launch in March, assuming the project gets funded. The project needs $25,000 and has $3,595 so far with 43 days to go.

Also inside the stroller you’ll find running lights, a kid-in-seat sensor, a pedometer (of course) and an assortment of other less mentionable but just as fantastic implementations of future adult oriented technology – like an LCD screen! The one thing this stroller will not do is ward off, as Cory Doctorow reminds us, the hoards of pro-walking devils that would lay waste to your sense of good parenting when you’ve got a child with two perfectly good legs and feet sitting comfortably in a rolling seat. But just look at what it can do!

Now that’s what I call an advanced bit of strolling technology — is it worth the $850 USD it costs to own though? I’m not so sure of that, especially since I’d feel strange putting a piece of equipment that costs almost as much as my laptop alongside my camping supplies. Or perhaps this is only for those who bring their strollers along with them into restaurants. Either way, this stroller isn’t quite out on the market yet, but it will be soon! 4moms to the rescue with buttons!

NOTE: It’s been quite a while since we added anything to our Parenting Gadgets portal – is this the sort of thing you’d like to see more of, you readers you? Let us know in the comments below!

[via 4moms]

With the Cold War long behind us, a new plan to connect Russia and the US via a long railway tunnel underneath the waters of the Bering Strait has been green lighted. The project is projected to cost $10 – $12 billion for the 65-mile long tunnel construction alone with the complete project expected to run in the $65 billion range. The tunnel is expected to take about 15 years to complete and when finished it would allow travel by rail from London all the way to New York City.

The thought of one of those high-speed trains zipping you across the world is very interesting. One of the most interesting notions of the tunnel is the commerce it would allow with the ability to transport millions of pounds in goods between Europe and the US each year by rail, which is the cheapest way to transport all sorts of goods today. The tunnel will use wind power and tidal power along the length and that power generated could be shot back to Europe and the US.

[via Inhabitat]

Maglev trains if you aren’t familiar use superconducting magnets on the train and coils under the tracks to levitate the train and allow it to travel with much less friction at much higher speeds. Japan has given the go ahead to Central Japan Railway to start construction on a new maglev train system that will have a top speed more than twice that of the current lines at 313 MPH. The new super high-speed trains will connect Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.

The project has a massive price tag of 9 trillion yen. Apparently, most of that massive budget will be absorbed in the building of a large system of tunnels that will be required to connect the three cities by 313 MPH rail. Much of the track route is already built though the tunnels will make up 60% of the total route. The tunnels aren’t expected to be complete until 2014. The Tokyo-Nagoya route is not slated for completion until 2027 and the Tokyo-Osaka route is set for completion in 2045.

[via Inhabitat]

The big issue with the original YikeBike was that the carbon fiber construction made the bike over $3,500. The looks of the bike are wild too; it reminds me a bit of a modern version of one of the old bikes with the really large front wheel and the tiny rear wheel. The YikeBike company is back with a new version of the bike that is made from an alloy material and reinforced composites. This allows the bike to retain the design of the original and cost less for the buyer.

The YikeBike made from the alloy and composite material is heavier at about 14kg compared to the 10.8kg of the carbon fiber original. The price of the new version is significantly cheaper than the original, but the YikeBike is still very costly. The new bike will reportedly sell for under $2,000 and is called the Fusion model. The Fusion model will be sold via dealers while the carbon fiber original will be sold directly from the YikeBike website only.

[via Stuff]

If you’re interested, you’ll need to pre-register – by calling 0845 680 3409 in the UK – and then payments are made by SMS message. There are no fees involved, at least not for customers, though it’ll only work in Vodafone-branded cabs.

The chargers are generic – we’re guessing microUSB, perhaps with an adapter for iPhones – so it won’t just be Vodafone customers getting the benefit. We’d rather see a fully generic system across all carriers, but this is a start at least.

Update: Apparently the system won’t just allow for mobile payments by Vodafone customers, but users of all UK carriers. No word on what fees they may have to pay, however.

Press Release:

Vodafone gets London Calling

Hundreds of branded taxis to get mobile phone chargers, helping Londoners stay in touch
Vodafone customers can pay for their ride with their phone, at no extra charge
All part of Vodafone’s commitment to providing the best service in London

Tuesday 3 May: Vodafone is aiming to keep Londoners connected with a new fleet of branded taxis which for the first time will allow all passengers to recharge their phones on the move. Vodafone customers will also be able to pay for their journeys with their phones – at no extra charge – making those last minute stop-offs at the cash point a thing of the past.
Today, the first of hundreds of Vodafone-branded taxi cabs will take to the streets in one of the biggest ‘wrapping’ advertising campaigns ever seen in the capital. Their bold and colourful Union Jack design, made up of over 2000 London street names, will make them an eye-catching addition to the city as well as easy to spot for anyone who needs to charge up their phone. They will be followed next week by the first of a fleet of Vodafone-branded Heathrow Express trains.
It is all part of Vodafone’s commitment to keeping London calling. In the past few months the mobile phone company has improved the performance of well over 500 of its sites across the city and will continue to invest heavily to ensure it has the best network in the capital. Every month, Vodafone customers in London make more than 160 million calls, send over 155 million texts and download the equivalent of 16 billion emails.

Vodafone UK Chief Executive Guy Laurence said “We are committed to offering London the best possible network. We have already made hundreds of improvements to increase coverage, capacity and reliability to ensure Londoners can always stay in touch with friends and family. Now with our fantastic fleet of Union Jack cabs and their on-board chargers which anyone can use, all Londoners will be able to see our continuing commitment to the capital.”

That sounds pretty bad at first glance. Ten times the expected dose of radiation seems like a lot. Rapiscan, the company that contracted with TSA to provide the machines, explained the matter in more detail.

“Oftentimes, the FSE (Field Service Engineer) will bypass the step of dividing by 10. While the resulting entry, at a pragmatic level, is understandable on its face and usable for monitoring purposes, the value, if read literally by persons unfamiliar with our system and the survey process, would imply energy outputs that are unachievable by the Secure 1000 Single Pose,”

That’s straightforward. Rapiscan has also promised to rewrite the sheet that the field technicians use to collect the data. They hope to make it clearer so that future FSE’s will not run into the same problem.

For other news regarding the full body scanners check out our other recent stories here or here.

[via Wired]

This board is made of molded plywood and has foam and leather upholstered to the top. Although it’s made for the office, I imagine the goofiest of ladies and men would have an alright time skating barefoot with this pillow of boards. Don’t fall off though, I’ve done such a dare and it doth hurt quite mightily. I’ve also skated around campus way back in my college years, and having a board under my feet during class can be surprisingly soothing – supposing the wheels are properly greased.

Would you like your own “Secret” board by designer Carissa Carter? Too bad! This is an art project, and not made for mass consumption -unless of course you and enough other people contact her to make you one. All art projects are open to multiplication under the right kind of well-meaning duress.

[Via SnowFlyZone]

The subway car is being called the Inspiro, and it’s set to launch in 2012 in Poland. Those behind the design hope to create the car from an aluminum chassis, which would obviously make the new design considerably lighter than designs currently in use. The designers also hope that with the new aluminum design, that the flow of passengers will be better, if not increase, with the more spacious design.

Interestingly enough, the new subway car will also feature a demand-controlled air conditioning system, as well as electrodynamic braking. With all of that combined, including the fact it should take less energy to run the Inspiro, Poland is hoping to reduce the country’s subway energy output by 30 percent. Thinking into the future, Poland hopes to have 35 of the subway cars operational by the end of 2013.

[via Treehugger]

The training wheels in this case are a pair of rollerblades. The FlyRad has a battery and a little seat on it and the rider sits on it and uses the rollerblades to keep balance. There is no need to balance the FlyRad, and it appears to use the tops of the thighs to support most of the weight of the device.

The thing comes in sizes for adults, teens, and kids and has a 500W electric motor with a 36V battery in the adult version. The thing weighs about 53 pounds and can hit 25 mph with a traveling range of 31 miles on a single charge. It takes four hours to charge the thing fully. Those with the need for speed can get 1000W motor and stronger batteries.

Designers submit their projects and the winning design gets put into production. One of the designs is suitable geeky and is called Treadway Wearable Mobility. Basically, we are talking motorized shoes. The Treadway design has a wireless control operated by hand and the motors get power from rechargeable lithium polymer batteries.

The devices slip over your existing shoes and are intended to make traveling that last mile to public transportation easier. These things look really geeky and are sort of like a high tech pair of Heelys kids wear all over the place.

The company who made the light bikes for the film is making five real bikes that will be street legal. The bikes are being built to the exact specifications of the ones used in the film and there will be only five made, each with a different accent color.

The color options are red, blue, yellow, green, and orange. The company says that the version built to promote the film is not running and these five will be the only ones to exist. The buyer can choose a high-performance gas engine and transmission or an electric motor depending on their needs. Apparently, the bikes are about $35,000 each. I’m off to put everything I own on eBay to raise the money to buy one.