SmartHalo bicycle accessory combines navigation, activity tracking and alarm system
Canadian company CycleLabs has launched a smart device for bicycles that is designed to help navigate and track routes, and prevent theft (+ movie). More
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Orée launches copper Stylograph ballpoint that digitally records handwitten notes
Maison&Objet 2015: French technology retailer Orée is launching a ballpoint pen that can digitally record and store notes and sketches made in a companion notebook (+ slideshow). More
SOAK textile coating changes colour to warn wearers of dehydration
Dutch researcher Paulien Routs has worked with conceptual design studio Droog to develop a spray for activewear that monitors wearers' hydration levels by reacting to their sweat (+ slideshow). More
"The smart city blinds us to the possibility of political action"
Opinion: the limitless prosperity once promised by urbanisation has failed to materialise, leaving rapidly growing inequality in its wake. It will take more than some clever technology to solve the problems with the world's biggest cities, says Reinier de Graaf. More
SAM and Map create Internet of Things toolkit for building connected products
Barber and Osgerby's creative consultancy Map and technology company SAM have designed a kit of "building blocks" aimed at simplifying the creation of internet-connected products (+ slideshow). More
Yves Behar's thermostat for British Gas aimed at "everyone from your grandma to your auntie"
Yves Behar has designed a connected thermostat for UK energy supplier British Gas aimed at ordinary consumers rather than technology lovers (+ movie). More
Casa Jasmina combines Italian design with connected home technologies
Science fiction writer Bruce Sterling has curated an apartment inside an old industrial building in Turin, Italy, bringing together various designs to create the "open-source connected home of the future" (+ slideshow). More
Architects underestimate "potentially sinister" smart-home technologies says Rem Koolhaas
Architect Rem Koolhaas has spoken out against the way technology is infiltrating buildings, saying it is "totally astonishing" that people are willing to sacrifice their privacy for convenience and describing the rise of smart systems as "potentially sinister". More
MHOX envisions a future of bioprinted and enhanced human eyes
Italian research studio MHOX has unveiled a concept to allow people to swap their eyes with digital-compatible versions. More
IKEA launches furniture that wirelessly charges smartphones and tablets
News: Swedish furniture giant IKEA has incorporated induction-charging stations into products from its latest collection, which will allow users to wirelessly charge their smartphones. More
Smartphone-powered dongle tests for HIV in 15 minutes
News: Columbia Engineering researchers have developed a smartphone accessory that can simultaneously detect HIV and syphilis within minutes. More
Health-monitoring components designed for Google's Project Ara modular smartphone
San Francisco studio Lapka has imagined a range of health-related modules that would fit onto the Project Ara smartphone – for which Google unveiled the latest prototype last week (+ slideshow). More
Connected pedal protects bicycles from theft
CES 2015: a bicycle pedal that can notify the owner if their vehicle has been moved was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. More
Gogoro launches electric smartscooter to combat pollution in megacities
CES 2015: Taiwanese company Gogoro has revealed what it describes as the "world's first Smartscooter", with a network of battery-swapping stations that could allow its power cells to be changed in just six seconds (+ movie). More
Montblanc introduces luxury smart strap for analogue watches
News: luxury watch brand Montblanc has entered the wearable technology market, choosing to add a device to its straps instead of turning its analogue timepieces into smartwatches. More
Connected cars face hacking threat thanks to wireless safety features
News: hackers could exploit wireless and internet-based technologies already being used in new car designs to take control of vehicles – creating the potential for a "terrorist-type threat". More
Volvo's connected helmet warns cyclists of car collisions
CES 2015: Swedish car brand Volvo is launching a prototype cycling helmet that offers two-way communication between the wearer and nearby drivers to help prevent accidents (+ movie). More
"Chinese Google" Baidu designs a smart bike fitted with data-generating sensors
The research wing of Chinese web services company Baidu is developing a smart bicycle called Dubike that can generate its own electricity, in collaboration with the Industrial Design department at Tsinghua University (+ slideshow). More
Elvie vaginal activity monitor helps strengthen pelvic floor muscles
The latest activity tracker for the vagina is this device by Elvie, designed to help women strengthen their pelvic floor muscles and monitor their progress. More
Headset creates "3D soundscape" to help blind people navigate cities
News: research group Future Cities Catapult and tech company Microsoft have developed a headset that sends the wearer three-dimensional sound information in a push to make urban areas more navigable for blind people (+ movie). More