Sci-Tech

Thought-Controlled Wheel Chair Helps the Disabled

A wheel chair being developed by Ambient will allow users to control its movement with just their thoughts -- a breakthrough device that could be a huge help for the paralysed. Called the Audeo, the chair works by intercepting brain signals sent to your larynx and decoding them to match previously recorded words, such as "forward," "back," or "fire laser." Luckily, there is no complex cyborg-like surgery involved, as the device works by using a sensor-covered neckband to detect the brain signals and wirelessly transmit them to a nearby computer for processing. Theoretically, the signals can also be sent to a speech synthesiser, allowing a paralysed user to speak with all the intensity of Stephen Hawking. Pretty amazing in its simplicity, I'm curious to see how accurate this thing is and that it won't be sending our handicapped flying backwards into traffic.

Looking more like an alien life-form from Lost in Space, the "Rocking Wheel Chair" is a concept rocking chair created by designer Mathias Koehler. With spindly alien legs and an ever-important overhead light, the rocking chair manages to be simultaneously hip and terrifyingly ugly. The chair makes a great present for your cyber-punk grandmother who could sew you up a nice pair of anarchistic pants real quick. Still, why not go further with this, Mathias -- let's give it Bluetooth-capability and an engine, then we're in business.

Starbucks Makes the Leap to Single-Serve Coffee

Stop the presses for the coffee addicts, because Starbucks, the 800-pound gorilla of the java trade, has decided to blast into the single-serving coffee market this December, serving up four of its hyper-expensive blends to go into special coffee makers that will now be made by Bosch, as you see in the picture here. Until now, there weren't any famous and wonderful brands such as Starbucks available for these foolproof coffeemakers. This is big news, coffee lovers. That's a big change for those coffee drinkers who like to use these little single-serving capsules in their Tassimo Hot Beverage System, that was formally made by Braun but now has jumped ship over to rival appliance maker Bosch.

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