The Aiguille du Midi, or Needle of the South, has been home to the terrifying highest vertical ascent cable car in the world for three decades. But this month, it’s stepping up its scaring-the-wits-out-of-tourists game—with a glass box that hangs over the yawning void next to the peak.
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Taking flight with a wingsuit is probably the scariest thing I can think of doing. And that’s part of the reason why this interactive video of German crazy person Beni Kälin jumping off a Swiss mountaintop is so cool. It feels like you’re flying—except without the risk of dying part.
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[CEATEC 2013] Don’t you just love the wonders of miniaturization? Not only does it make life a whole lot easier and more convenient for the masses, it is also one way to maximize our living space around us. Normally, a bidirectional DC/DC converter would not get too much of a glance from the passing consumer electronics enthusiast, but ALPS might have just turned the tables with their latest idea on what an ALPS Bidirectional DC/DC Converter should be like.
In the first place, modern portable DC/DC converters tend to rank low on the efficiency level – at least relatively speaking, but ALPS decided to pick up the challenge by working alongside another two companies, MyWay and ROHM, to change things for the better. These three companies have come up with a far more efficient DC/DC converter, which is 10% of the original size (which you can see the bulky machine on the left hand side), 80% lighter, and of course, with it comes a higher degree of efficiency compared to traditional systems. MyWay has plans to sell this Bidirectional DC/DC Converter from this month onward, and for those who ask what use is this module for in everyday life? It would result in far smaller and more efficient charging stations as well as electric vehicle power systems.
ALPS Bidirectional DC/DC Converter original content from Ubergizmo. 
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The Alps stretch 750 miles across Europe with numerous peaks topping 13,000 feet. The stiff winds blowing through their passes makes an Alpine UAV crossing nearly as impossible as it was during the Second Punic War. But one plucky micro-drone has just achieved that feat, flying through the Alps in just 23 minutes. But here’s what it looks like in five seconds.
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Residing in hall space a fair distance away from the likes of the Toyota and Sony, the automotive division of Alps Electric was demonstrating a forward-looking vehicle interface at CEATEC 2012. Connecting together the company’s existing capacitive touch technology with motion sensors and eye movement cameras, the system centers on the multimodal commander — that mysterious-looking orb located below the gear stick. Navigation through it can be done through waving your hand over the device, swiping or rotating the orb like a dial. This can then move through weather, music and map programs, which are all integrated into the car’s touchscreen, while an overhanging motion sensor will also detect where your hand is headed. An Alps spokesman said that this means the system can try to predict your intentions, adjusting the UI before you reach for the controls. We’ve got a hands-on video from pretty busy showroom — and more impressions — after the break.
Filed under: GPS, Transportation
Alps Electric integrates motion sensors and eye detection into vehicle cockpit of the future (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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