We're interested in: Gravity, the conversation technology bringing forums into 2010

Gravity is a web service that aims to make conversations on the internet easier and better. It updates the elderly forum model and is comparable to services like Google Wave and Twitter. Set up by former MySpace execs, Gravity launched into private beta yesterday, and Techcrunch profiled the new service here. "We built Gravity because…

The Algae-Powered car? the people making oil from seaweed

How do you convert your car to run on mushed-up seaweed? It's not something your average man in the street is wondering, but fortunately some intrepid American fuel-pioneers are. Fed up with the oil industry and pollutant effects of burning petrol, Josh Tickell had been experimenting with biofuels and successfully converted a car to run…

Maltmatcher: app and site that helps you choose malt whiskys

Considering buying that certain someone (your dad) a choice malt whiskey for Christmas? Baffled by labels with information about maltsters, peat reek and weird bits of Gaelic..? by sentences beginning: "a marriage of Ardbeg from bourbon barrel and sherry butt"? Well once again, there is app/website for this sort of thing. From drinks manufacture Diageo…

Christmas lights guitar hero

Serious wow. Some genius/madwoman has linked up her wii to her Christmas lights controller, put some speakers outside and created this masterpiece. The song is "Cliffs of Dover" in case you're wondering. We found this on Kottke. He says: "This is possibly the most American thing I've ever seen. Such ingenuity combined with such conspicuous…

iLert: the app that means you don't miss your train stop

Are you prone to falling asleep on the train? Worried about missing your stop? Yes there's an iPhone app for that. Tell the iLert app where your train stop is and it uses GPS to work out when you're nearing your destination. Approximately 8 minutes before your phone gives you a gentle vibrating iLert. If…

Youtube 09 stats show we like music videos and surprises

Wouldn't it be nice if you could draw some conclusion about humanity or the internet from the top five most watched videos on Youtube this year? Well it would be, but I've tried for 30 minutes and I really can't, except something along the lines of: people like music and surprises. YouTube's top Five Most…

Econav: the satnav from Vexia that tells you how to drive green

Satnavs tell you where to drive, so it was only a matter of time before they started telling you how to drive too. And someone's just gone and launched one in the UK. With a twist though. Econav fixes on your car's dashboard like a TomTom or other standard satnav and tells you how to…

Viewsonic launches powerful but light ViewBook range

Laptop makers ViewSonic released a new range of computers today, ViewBooks. Targeted at users on-the-move, the ViewBooks are thin and light but aim to be powerful, all-purpose computers. More unusually at the portable computer end of the market, the 12.1", 13.3" and 14" ViewBooks and the 13.3" ViewBook Pro run Windows 7. (Many cheaper netbooks…

Facebook app MirrorMe shows what you'll look like in 10 years

A Facebook app that encourages you to de-tox sounds like it could be useful. Especially come January, that month of penance and eating detox soup. But, on closer inspection, this app - MirrorMe - also sounds like it would make you run screaming away from your computer screen. According to a press release, the MirrorMe…

Walking suspiciously? new CCTV cameras will notice

You might not be able to tell the difference between a nurse who's late for work and a suicide bomber, but soon surveillance cameras might be able to, says the New Scientist. Cameras are already making use of recognition technology to recognise faces and smiles. Where consumer laptops and mobiles use this facility for fun,…