These are couple leaked shots of the 2012 Mazda RX-9 that just surfaced. This vehicle will reportedly feature a “Wankel powerplant of somewhere around 1.8 liters, and be more oil and fuel efficient than the current generation.”

Power would make it to an unidentified number of wheels via a dual-clutch 6-speed transmission and limited-slip diff

Via Autoblog

“There’s no longer a need for step tools with this high-tech SmartSink — by MIT student Leonardo B. Using a built-in camera and custom software to detect your line of sight, this sink will automatically adjust itself to the ideal height. Plus, you’ll also find a second camera below that checks what is put into the sink and then adjusts the water temperature accordingly.”

Via TechBlog

“Making its big screen debut in the James Bond flick “Octopussy”, the Bede BD-5 is the world’s smallest jet aircraft. This 860-pound microjet is powered by a single TRS-18 jet engine and has a top speed of 320mph. It can reach altitudes of up to 30,000 feet, “flying for 2 hours before having to re-fuel.”

Via Techblog

This is the latest in melt down chairs designed by Tom Price, at this year’s Designersblock. This version is made by heating and fusing together plumbing tubes, which create the molded seat.

The man behind this “charlie and the chocolate factory” style is Mexican architect Michel Rojkind.

The 1394 Trade Association announced the S3200 electrical specification for FireWire. The specification builds upon the existing IEEE 1394b standard by boosting the maximum speed from 800 megabits per second to 3.2Gbps. Importantly, S3200 can use the cables and connectors already in use for FireWire 800 products…

The association hopes to have the S3200 specification ratified by early February, and has used the speed boost to position FireWire as an alternative to other recent interfacing technologies…

The association also said that FireWire would soon be able to operate over cable television coaxial cables, and said S3200 would make the standard fast enough to move uncompressed high-definition television signals over long distances at a lower cost than HDMI, the current standard for HD connections - Eideard

Microsoft and Viacom have formed an advertising and content partnership to provide about $500 million in services to each other over five years.

Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, will license television shows and movies from Viacom for use on its MSN Web site and sell advertising for Viacom’s U.S. sites…

Under the deal, programming from Viacom’s MTV, Comedy Central and BET cable networks as well as the Paramount studio will be distributed on MSN and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video-game system.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, will have the exclusive right to seek buyers for unsold display advertising space on Viacom’s U.S. Web sites. The companies will share ad revenue. Microsoft also agreed to buy ads on Viacom’s cable-TV networks and its online sites for five years.

I feel like I’m watching a commercial for erectile dysfunction - from two creepy pharmaceutical companies who’ve decided to merge their efforts…….More content worth ignoring. - Eideard

Eco-boat powered by human fat attempts round the world speed record | the Daily Mail — A new solution to the high cost of energy.

The fastest eco boat on the planet will attempt to break the round the world speed record using fuel made from human fat.

Pete Bethune, the New Zealand skipper of Earthrace, said the attempt to circumnavigate the globe would begin from Valencia in Spain on March 1 next year…Earthrace is a 78 foot alternative fuel powered wave-piercing trimaran, it can carry 3,000 gallons of fuel, and weighs 23 tonnes when fully fueled

Demonstrating further commitment to the cause, Bethune underwent liposuction and donated enough to produce 100ml of biofuel, while two other, larger volunteers also had the procedure, making a total of 10 litres of human fat. This in turn produced seven litres of biofuel, which could help the boat travel about 15km.

Earthrace is fuelled on 100 per cent biodiesel and has a net zero carbon footprint - John Dvorak.

From the extravaganza luxury exhibition held in Moscow comes the gold plated toilet. Price? 250,000 Euros.

A University at Buffalo electronic-packaging researcher is helping the U.S. Navy to develop a next generation all-electric warship that will revolutionize the Navy’s use of weaponry and manpower.

The electric warship’s system architecture to be designed by Cemal Basaran, director of the Electronic Packaging Laboratory in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and other researchers working on the project for the Navy will make available throughout the entire ship onboard electric power generated by the ship’s power plants and mechanical propulsion system…

The Navy plans to have the electric warship operational by 2012.

Core concept of this prototype appears to be like diesel-electric locomotives; but - erm - a little larger. Certainly, more sophisticated - Eideard