Super accurate nuclear clock proposed

The Weltzeituhr (World Clock) at Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany isn't anywhere near as accurate as the nuclear clock proposed by researchers

The NIST-F1 atomic clock that currently serves as primary time and frequency standard for the U.S. is expected to neither gain nor lose a second in more than 100 million years. That might sound pretty accurate, but a proposed nuclear clock could make it look like a cheap digital wristwatch. It is claimed that the proposed clock would neither gain nor lose 1/20th of a second in 14 billion years. To put that in context, that’s the estimated age of the universe.

Dual Eyewear sunglasses provide bifocal lenses for reading bike computers

The Dual V6 with smoke lenses

Electronics have become a ubiquitous part of fitness and recreation. You use a GPS to navigate and track your speed, distance and vertical. You use a heart rate monitor to measure your calories burned and heart rate. You load your iPhone with all kinds of music and apps to power you through. Heck, you may even load your sneakers with electronics.

The five best PlayStation Vita games

Super Stardust Delta makes our top 5 PlayStation Vita games list

If our gushing review of the Vita has you ready to drop some cash, but you're not sure what games to get, read on for our selection of the five best launch titles for the PlayStation Vita.

GameGadget handheld puts classic games in the palm of your hand

The GameGadget is a mobile gaming console designed for classic games titles

It wasn’t so long ago that the mobile gaming space was dominated by Nintendo and Sony. While both companies continue to stake a claim for the mobile gaming pie with the release of their latest handhelds – the 3DS and PlayStation Vita – dedicated mobile gaming consoles have been under serious fire from smartphones in recent years. But that hasn’t stopped a UK-based company entering the arena with the GameGadget – an open source console designed to let fans get their hands on classic games titles.

Audi's turbodiesel, electric flywheel hybrid, all-wheel drive prototype race car

Audi's new R18 e-tron quattro demonstrates the extraordinary boldness of the Audi company in actually risking something substantial (damaging it's Quattro heritage) to demonstrate new capabilities - harnessing the combination of electric and traditional horsepower to gain a demonstrable competitive advantage

Audi has disclosed some of the details of its forthcoming R18 e-tron quattro, revealing a turbodiesel, electric flywheel hybrid, all-wheel drive prototype, and ensuring that the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hour Race will be a battle of the hybrids.

Ghost Pedal lets guitarists wander the stage and wah

A team of Purdue University students has developed a device that uses sensors at a guitarist's ankle to wirelessly control a virtual wah distortion effect

No matter the size of the stage, most gigging guitar players are likely to have to return to the same spot from time to time to change the tone, increase the volume, check tuning or to operate the wah effect. Thanks to a team of students from Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering, the last of those has now been liberated from the pedal board and strapped to the player's ankle. This doesn't involve attaching a large brick-shaped wah pedal to one leg, as one's imagination might suggest, but wearing a small wireless transmitter and a couple of sensors instead. Players operate the Ghost Pedal in much the same fashion as a physical pedal, the sensors registering the rocking motion of the foot and feeding data to a base station connected to the amplifier.

Cambridge scientists use LEGO MINDSTORMS to build bone-making robots

Scientists at Cambridge University have built robots out of LEGO, to assist in their research into creating artificial bone

Despite what TV shows like CSI would have us believe, a lot of lab work tends to be highly monotonous. It’s the type of work that could be assigned to robots, were it not for the fact that many facilities can’t afford the things, or can’t rationalize bringing one in for a single project. When scientists at Cambridge University were recently faced with a very mindless, repetitive task that was part of their research into creating artificial bone, one of them got creative, and built a couple of robots out of LEGO.

WD releases My Book Thunderbolt Duo in 4 TB and 6 TB capacities

The My Book Thunderbolt Duo from WD is now available in 4 TB and 6 TB storage capacities

Western Digital (WD) has begun shipping its first Thunderbolt equipped storage device in the form of the My Book Thunderbolt Duo. The device is a dual-drive unit available in 4 TB (2 x 2 TB) and 6 TB (2 x 3 TB) capacities and features dual Thunderbolt ports (and only dual Thunderbolt ports – there’s no USB to fall back on here) on the rear for daisy-chaining of up to six My Book Thunderbolt Duo drives or other Thunderbolt peripherals.

New production process could cut solar cell prices by half

Twin Creeks Technologies' Hyperion process is claimed to be able to produce crystalline silicon wafers, for use in solar cells, for half the cost of conventional methods

Boosting solar cell efficiency is seen as a key factor in making them more practical, but there is another way of looking at the matter ... if the price of those cells were lowered, we could generate more power simply by using more of them. That’s where Mississippi-based Twin Creeks Technologies comes into the picture. The company has developed a method of making crystalline silicon wafers which it says could reduce the cost of solar cell production by half.

Heart disease drug found to reduce racist attitudes

The beta-blocking medication propanol could also block subconscious racist attitudes.

Although racism is widely believed to be a learned behavior, findings from an Oxford University team suggest that taking a heart disease medication may also help mute subconscious racist attitudes in individuals. Researchers gave the drug propranolol to 18 subjects, and placebos to a control group of the same size. Those that received the drug scored markedly lower on a standard test that measures subconscious racial bias. Does this mean we could one day see a pill to counter racist tendencies?

Snowboard built for survival helps you battle the elements

The Signal crew surfs powder in roped 'Snurfer' fashion Photo: Erin Paul Hines

Part Swiss Army knife, part splitboard and part old school powder surfer, the Signal Snowboard Survivor Split snowboard is a one-of-a-kind, experimental board that equips you with all kinds of tools for the backcountry - it can cut wood, start a fire and shovel snow.

Changing the texture of plastics on demand

The process can dynamically switch the texture of plastics between patterns ranging from dots, segments, lines to circles

Imagine a pair of rubber gloves whose surface texture could be altered on demand to provide more grip for climbing. Or maybe gloves with "fingerprints" that can be changed in the blink of an eye. They are just a couple of the many potential applications envisioned by researchers at Duke University for a process they have developed that allows the texture of plastics to be changed at will.

ArchDaily's 2011 Building of the Year award winners an interesting mix of form and function

Hotels and Restaurants category winner: Tori-Tori Restaurant, Polanco, Mexico City (Photo: Paùl Rivera)

For some, architecture is considered "the will of an epoch translated into space" (Mies van der Rohe), for others, it's "frozen music" (Goethe), but for most of us, the topic remains quite subjective. Now, online architecture review site ArchDaily has finally sifted through over 65,000 votes to come up with the winners of their 2011 Building of the Year awards - a fascinating selection of innovation and creativity that will wow some and challenge others.

Cyborg snail gets biofuel cell implant

The cyborg snail with a biofuel cell implant that generates electrical power from glucose and oxygen in the snail's blood

Earlier this year we reported that researchers had implanted a cockroach with an enzyme-based biofuel cell that could potentially be used to power various sensors, recording devices, or electronics used to control an insect cyborg. While it may not be the most dynamic of creatures, a team from Clarkson University has now performed a similar feat with a living snail.

Review: The OPC musician's computer/amp from Orange Amps

Contents of the box: the OPC, wired keyboard and mouse, power cables, Quick start guide and USB extension cable

The first OPC from Orange Amps was made available in August 2010 and we've been closely following its development ever since. The bundled musician-related software has remained pretty much the same since launch but the musician's computer was given a serious hardware upgrade towards the close of 2011, and it's the new Core i7 system which I've been getting to know over the past few weeks. I've also managed to discuss some of the finer details with the driving force behind the OPC, and its lead developer, Charlie Cooper.

Sandberg BatteryCase for iPhone 4/4S delivers more bang for your buck

Sandberg's BatteryCase is a case for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S packs impressive specs into a slim package

Sandberg's BatteryCase is the latest in a long line of iPhone battery cases that claim to double the life of an iPhone - in this case the iPhone 4, though as you'd expect the case is also compatible with the iPhone 4S. In case you're not familiar with how these things work, there's no mystery: it's simply an iPhone case with an integrated battery. But how does it stack up against two of the market leaders, Mophie's juice pack and juice pack plus?

Space Fence Mark II - Prototype S-band radar tracks space junk smaller than an inch across

A prototype of the new Lockheed Martin Space Fence radar system is currently tracking orbiting space objects smaller than was ever possible - down to about a centimeter in size

A prototype of the new Lockheed Martin Space Fence radar system is currently tracking orbiting space objects smaller than was ever possible - down to about a centimeter in size. In doing so, it met a key contract requirement during a series of demonstration events by proving it could detect and track such small objects.

Wave Glider aquatic robots set world record

A group of four autonomous underwater vehicles have just set a world distance record, by traveling from San Francisco to Hawaii

On November 17th of last year, a group of four wave-powered autonomous aquatic robots set out from San Francisco, embarking on a planned 37,000-mile (60,000-km) trip across the Pacific ocean. Recently, the fleet of Wave Gliders completed the first leg of their journey, arriving at Hawaii’s Big Island after traveling over 3,200 nautical miles (5,926 km). By doing so, they have set a new distance record for unmanned wave-powered vehicles – that record previously sat at 2,500 nautical miles (4,630 km).

Jompy: a hot water tap for your hydration bladder

The large Jompy offers the fastest boiling time - one liter in about 45 seconds

A funny name but an innovative design, Jompy allows campers, backpackers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts to get hot water from their hydration packs. The simple device works in conjunction with a hydration bladder and camping stove to deliver boiling water for use in food, beverages and cleaning.

Sony α57 boasts 12 fps shooting with full-time continuous autofocus

The SLT-A57 is somewhat taller than its predecessor, a move that's said to offer users a more comfortable grip

Sony's translucent mirror technology - which directs incoming light to the image sensor and the AF sensor simultaneously - continues to advance with the introduction of the company's new SLT-A57 digital camera. The new camera trumps the α55 it replaces in a number ways, most notable of which is the 12 images per second continuous shooting with full-time continuous autofocus in Tele-zoom Continuous Advanced Priority AE mode. The new, faster, more powerful image processor that makes such an impressive performance boost possible also ramps up the sensitivity to a very low-light-friendly ISO16000, and the camera is fit to bursting with creative photography options.