Gizmag News - Enertia Plus: Brammo takes electric motorcycle to 80 mile range

Welcome to the newsletter for gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. These are the headlines for October the 20th, 2010. Enertia Plus – Brammo takes electric motorcycle to 80 mile range Brammo has eclipsed the range capability of its pioneering Enertia electric motorcycle with its latest commuter – the Enertia Plus. With its 6.0 kW h lithium ion battery pack the Enertia Plus achieves 80 miles (128 km) on a single charge – twice that of the original model – while only adding US$1000 to the price tag. Read More Truly Ergonomic claims to revolutionize typing There are a number of keyboards that claim to be ergonomic, but only one claims to be "truly ergonomic." Many input devices available today stagger the keys across the available keying area, resulting in even the most proficient touch typist having to move around more than is desirable. The makers of the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard claim that their redesign brings all keys within easy reach, which should lead to decreased discomfort in a world where most of us spend much of our lives tapping away in front of one computer screen or another. Read More Electric tuk tuks introduced to Europe Call them tuk tuks, auto rickshaws, mototaxis or any one of several other names, but they’re one of the world’s most ubiquitous vehicles – three-wheeled motorized rickshaws. They’ve been a fixture on roads in Asia, South America, Africa and Italy for decades, and have more recently made their way into the Netherlands, the U.K. and other countries. Given that they typically have quite small engines and are used mostly as runabouts, Dutch company Tuk Tuk Factory (TTF) decided to start making electric tuk tuks a few years ago and has now introduced them to the European market. Read More Plastic/metal composite material is able to monitor itself When engineers want to know how much stress mechanical components such as wind turbine blades or machine parts are subjected to, they usually do so via a series of sensors. These sensors are typically either built into components, or are glued onto them. A new polymer-metal composite material developed at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Material Research (IFAM), however, may be about to change that – components made from the material are reportedly able to act as their own sensors. Read More Iomega's pocket-sized SSD storage solutions EMC subsidiary Iomega has announced the creation of a pocket-sized external SSD storage solution with hardware encryption, write speeds said to be twice as fast as a 7200 RPM SATA hard drive, and a special feature to help protect the unit if dropped. The new unit also benefits from SuperSpeed USB connectivity, hardware data encryption and a long usage lifespan. Read More iTapedeck is a retro case and stand for your iPhone 4 iPhone 4 owners will be pleased to hear that they can now wrap their cutting edge mobile device in a ridiculously retro case from technology's past. iTapedeck from Homeade is a protective skin for the iPhone 4 that looks just like a cassette tape. Read More Scientists able to watch nanoparticles grow from earliest stages of development We hear a lot about nanoparticles. The often unexpected properties of these tiny specks of matter are giving them applications in everything from synthetic antibodies to fuel cells to water filters and far beyond. Recently, for the first time ever, scientists were able to watch the particles grow from their earliest stage of development. Given that the performance of nanoparticles is based on their structure, composition, and size, being able to see how they grow could lead to the development of better growing conditions, and thus better nanotechnology. Read More Portable tones in a pipe: The Pipe Amp from FuzzHugger FuzzHugger has just unleashed a portable, battery-powered amp that packs some serious volume and gorgeous 1960s fuzz tones into a pipe housing. The appropriately named Pipe Amp is about the size of a vintage effects pedal, doesn't have its own clean channel and can be used to drive a 4 x 12 cabinet. The fact that each one is hand-built and available in strictly limited quantities only adds to its must-have charm. Let the fuzz begin... Read More If you would like to refer this newsletter to a friend or colleague, please point them at our free subscription page. Please don't try to forward this email, as the formatting is unlikely to remain intact. And don't worry, we don't share email addresses. Please read our privacy policy if you are concerned. Watch for more of the best new innovations, ideas and practical technologies in your inbox. You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at http://www.gizmag.com. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here to unsubscribe. COPYRIGHT GIZMAG (C) 2010