How long does it take to recharge an iPhone? A few hours, right? Nucleus Scientific revealed a solution onstage today at TechCrunch Disrupt NY that can charge a phone in minutes. With this technology, the company aims to allow a Tesla can be fully recharged in the amount of time it takes to pump a tank of gas.The company says its suite of battery technologies, called Intelligent Energy System,...

Revolar is a discrete device that allows users to call for help with a button press.Feeling safe is important. Whether it's just walking down the street or hiking up a mountain, knowing that one can get in touch with help if needed affords a great deal of security. That's the kind of nonviolent personal security the team at Revolar is aiming to bring to market with its discreet device that lets...

Which do you prefer: Light or dark spirits? As it turns out, your answer may be a good indicator of your political orientation.[click to enlarge]According to new research, Democrats prefer clear drinks, while their Republican counterparts would rather enjoy a serving of brown liquor.Liberals appear to like their Grey Goose and Smirnoff vodkas, while Republicans opt for Wild Turkey and Jim Beam...

Imagine a farmer who, rather than relying on his gut instincts, lets farm management software apply smart algorithms and a large pool of field data to make the daily decisions on how to work his fields.[click to enlarge] Instead of sitting on equipment outdoors, he and a handful of associates operate all the equipment for a farm covering thousands of hectares from a control room. GPS-guided aut...

Eye-tracking company Sticky is announcing that it has raised $5 million in Series A funding.Previously known as EyeTrackShop, Sticky offers analytics tools that allow online advertisers and publishers to track where you’re looking. It spun out of Swedish company Tobii Technologies in 2009.Advertisers, for example, can use the technology to test ads on different sites and networks to see which...

At its annual Build developer conference, Microsoft gave us a closer look at how its new HoloLens headset will work with Windows apps. Microsoft told us about HoloLens months ago, but it only showed a demo video and some slides.Now, at Build, Microsoft showed us what we'll actually see when we're wearing the HoloLens. It's basically a closer look at HoloLens and what it will be like to use it....

China now has the second-largest vineyard area in the world after Spain, with France falling to third position according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. However, a question has to be asked: how often have you enjoyed a glass of Chinese wine with your evening meal? For most people, the answer would be not too often. Why? More vineyard area does not necessarily mean more wine....

Showing teens how not to be cruel at 'crossroads moments'.Coca-Cola has embraced a useful visual shorthand for friendship—the fist bump—in its new marketing in Latin America. But that's just the beginning of a campaign that talks frankly to teens about stepping up for friends in difficult moments.The work, by Pereira & O'Dell, includes Web films, social activation, mobile, print, TV, radi...

When Graham Hill was designing his Lifeedited apartment in New York he would occasionally ask me for advice, all of which was too weird for him. He was really sensitive to noise and felt that he probably would have to air condition the apartment so that he could sleep; I suggested heavy insulated bed-curtains and a tiny thermo-electric Peltier air conditioner for the bed alone. Then I saw the b...