Daily Engadget: Invisibility Cloaks, New Smaller Pre?

Our friends over at Engadget obsessively cover everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics, which is why we compile this daily roundup of their top stuff (or, at least, what we think is tops). For more details on any of these stories, click on the Engadget links in each story below.

Russian Spaceship May Ditch Parachutes, Land on Fire
We've all seen space ships blast off into space atop giant pillars of fire, but we may one day see them return to Earth with the same fiery drama of launch, that is if the Russians follow up on their latest plans for the next generation Soyuz spacecraft. Ditching parachutes for an all-rocket landing sounds like a risky proposition, but did you ever see the Millennium Falcon with a parachute? We think not.

Newer, Smaller Palm Pre On the Way
The hotly anticipated Palm Pre hasn't even been released yet and we're already hearing rumors about an even newer Palm Pre. According to TechCrunch boss Michael Arrington, one of his sources is claiming that Palm is far along on a second, smaller device that uses the company's slick webOS mobile operating system. We always take Arrington's rumors with a grain of salt, but we'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

Invisibility Cloaks!
Quick, someone notify J.K. Rowling. Two separate research groups claiming to draw inspiration from theoretical physicist John Pendry's ideas have developed prototypes for actual, factual invisibility cloaks. The science gets complex pretty quickly (what with the theoretical physics and all), but what we do understand is enough to make waiting around for a demonstration video feel like Christmas Eve.


A Fire-Extinguishing Toy Robot Mod
Who says toy robots can't be useful? Check out this modded WowWee Rovio toy, which can detect fires and blast them with its top-mounted, fire-extinguisher turret. And don't think we didn't notice the paint-job...

Ciclotte Exercise Bike = Cool
It's not often that you see a products as mundane as stationary bikes sporting a cool design, but the Ciclotte concept by designer Luca Schieppati manages to combine antique, big-wheeled bike design with a futuristic aesthetic. Apparently, there's a road-worthy version in the works as well... no word on whether it comes with a jet-pack.

Wearable Venus Muscle Monitor
One of the downsides to advanced body monitoring is the need to stick needles into muscles to measure things like tissue oxygen and pH balance. This can be uncomfortable when doing strenuous tasks, like running on a treadmill or piloting the space shuttle. Enter the Venus wearable monitor, which ditches the needle for a small, infrared sensor placed on the skin. Trust us, if you were an astronaut, you'd be pumped to hear this.

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