The top 10 things you CAN have for Christmas 2014

Good Thinking The top 10 things you CAN have for Christmas 2014 The silly season is well and truly upon us again and with it comes the challenge of selecting a suitable gift for tech-loving friends and family. The options are a little overwhelming, but Gizmag's editorial team has sifted through 2014's top product offerings in an effort to help. read more Medical "Fat-burning pill" inches closer to reality Researchers say they have identified two chemical compounds that could replace "bad" fat cells in the human body with healthy fat-burning cells, in what may be the first step toward the development of an effective medical treatment – or even a pill – to help control weight gain. read more Computers Hemingwrite digital typewriter looks to let you write in peace A pair of US entrepreneurs believe that the hyper-connectivity of today's writing tools is to the detriment of productivity and are looking to reign things in a little. The Hemingwrite typewriter offers the bare essentials for a writer in the digital age, no email alerts or Youtube in sight. read more Health and Wellbeing Adapted Wii games aid in stroke victim rehab One in six of us will have a stroke in our lifetime, making it a leading cause of death and disability. A study using specially adapted Wii games has resulted in significant improvement in arm movement for some stroke survivors and could pave the way for improved community-based rehabilitation. read more Space Lockheed Martin engineers get first look at Orion post splashdown The Orion spacecraft may have taken less than five hours to fly into space and back, but it will take a fortnight for it to return to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, so Lockheed Martin, builder of the capsule, is conducting tests on the fly. read more Automotive Bloodhound Supersonic Car group tests hybrid rocket engine The Bloodhound Supersonic Car group, along with its partner, the Norwegian/Finnish aerospace and defense group, Nammo, announce that they've successfully tested a large hybrid solid/liquid rocket engine at Nammo's test facility in Norway. read more Aircraft Another four US companies granted approval for commercial drone use In another small, but promising step toward the adoption of commercial drones, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted exemptions to four companies that clear their unmanned aircraft systems for use in aerial surveying, construction site monitoring and oil rig flare stack inspections. read more Mobile Technology Nexus 6 vs. iPhone 6 Plus: Up close The Nexus 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are two our three favorite phablets of 2014. We have both in house right now, so why not take a quick look at how the two size up? read more Automotive New Mazda Miata will feature no-paint bioplastic parts The 2016 Mazda Miata will be the first vehicle to incorporate parts made from a new bioplastic developed by the automaker. The plastic is based on plant-derived materials instead of petroleum, and doesn't need to be painted. read more Bicycles Ulock jumps into the wireless bike lock marketplace Over the past couple of years, we've heard about two different bicycle U-locks – the Skylock and the BitLock – that can be unlocked via the user's smartphone. When it comes to a product that's actually being shipped now, however, the imaginatively-named Ulock has just beaten them both to it. read more Around The Home New version of the Stirio is promised to stir things up There are plenty of cooking tasks that require the skill and finesse only a human can provide, but the simple stirring of sauces is generally not one of them. That's why Norwegian company Unikia launched its Stirio motorized pot-stirrer a year ago. Now, a new-and-improved model has been announced. read more Good Thinking WikiGalaxy lets you view Wikipedia as an interactive virtual galaxy WikiGalaxy is engineering student Owen Cornec's reimagining of how we view and consume information – specifically Wikipedia pages. The project takes each individual entry on the online encyclopedia and plots it as a star in a virtual galaxy, that you can navigate from the comfort of your sofa. read more Mobile Technology Vivo X5Max takes thinnest smartphone crown Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has unveiled its latest smartphone, the X5Max. The handset has a stainless steel construction and high-end internals, but distinguishes itself by offering the thinnest build we've ever seen on a smartphone. read more Bicycles Evelo Omni Wheel turns almost any bike into an electric bike Whether you cycle to work or just for pleasure, there are no doubt times when a little help wouldn't go amiss. The Evelo Omni Wheel can provide just that assistance, replacing the front wheel of most bikes to give an electrified power boost. read more Automotive Mercedes-Benz chases the best of both worlds with GLE Coupe When BMW launched its X6, the world's motoring press wondered if the Bavarian giant had finally gone insane. Who would want a coupe and SUV combination? As it turns out, Mercedes is also keen to get in on the coupe/SUV combo action with its new GLE Coupe. read more Outdoors Trekkayak inflatable catamaran backpacks to distant waters Built to empower new adventures, the Trekkayak lets one hike deep into the wilderness and paddle his or her way back out. The lightweight inflatable catamaran packs fast and light in your backpack and inflates into a stable boat in minutes. read more Home Entertainment Review: Gramofon Wi-Fi music player wirelessly streams Spotify to your home stereo Connecting computers and mobile devices to a home hi-fi can mean either trailing wires across a room or buying expensive pieces of streaming kit. The Gramofon, however, lets you stream Spotify wirelessly to a non-wireless sound system. Gizmag pressed play and took a look. read more Advertisement Linux For Dummies, 9th Edition - eBook (usually $22.99) FREE for a limited time! Written in easy-to-follow, everyday terms, Linux For Dummies 9th Edition gets you started by concentrating on two distributions of Linux that beginners love: the Ubuntu LiveCD distribution and the gOS Linux distribution, which comes pre-installed on Everex computers. The book also covers the full Fedora distribution… read more UNSUBSCRIBE You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at http://www.gizmag.com. Copyright Gizmag © 2014