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- Artist Ron Pippin’s “Solar Deer” is unparalleled artwork -
This is unparalleled artwork. Its’ comparatively easier to seek inspiration from nature, but its’ very difficult to achieve excellence in art, that erases the gap between natural and artificial. For that, one needs a keen eye and a rapier sharp brain that perceives the relationship between science, art and nature in all forms natural and diligently strives to replicate the same. Artist Ron Pippin did just that. Using actual animal parts along with mechanical augmentations in many of his works, Pippin has sculpted this beautiful form, which he named “Solar Deer”.
- iCub toddler Robot mimics what it sees (literally) -
In a field where you just can’t compare if your robot is better than the others as every Robot is made for different platforms, iCub provides the common platform for the first time to compare functions with other robots in a meaningful way.
iCub toddler robot was the center of attraction at Humanoid Robotics Symposium at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). What makes it different from predecessors is the fact that it comes out as a collaborative effort from 11 European universities and institutions.
iCub is deemed a next step in the march of the robots and the idea behind its design was to make a humanoid robot that has physical and cognitive abilities of a two years old boy. However, during the research and development process, iCub was developed to the size of a three-year old toddler.
So far 20 of iCubs have been made and anyone who has been in the field of robotics can order one to further the research. The students at the Imperial College, London, are trying to teach iCub to imitate human actions to avoid controlling it with software which is time consuming and complicated.
iCub in is not a walking model at the moment, but could make 53 distinct movements, or degrees of freedom to use robotics terminology.
- Apple patent for iKey app, you’ll soon open doors with iPhone -
Phones have become an indispensable part of our lives; the iPhone in particular with the amount of third party applications has taken telephone usability to an all new level. With Apple filing a patent for the iKey app for the iPhone, the device could replace the need of house and car keys and wallet, making lives all the more limited to the phone itself.
Relying on the new Near Field Communication (NFC) — short-range high frequency wireless communication technology — the iKey requires the iPhone user to enter a PIN code on the onscreen rotating combination lock, which waves over to an electronic pad located on the other side of the house and car door.
The NFC devices are compatible with existing contactless infrastructure, a reason the NFC-equipped iPhone, with the app, could also be used as a digital wallet. There are rumors that the iPhone 4G will contain iKey capabilities, but that doesn’t actually seem to viable to me at this stage. But we’ll have to keep a close watch on the development.
- Standing 2.5 meters tall, a transformer robot built in recycled steel -
A transformer robot built out of recycled steel is something literally out of this world for us, but it isn’t all that intricate for these lads at RoboSteel. A reason, they’ve built this amazing life-size transformer robot sculpture to perfection - - still how I wish this could transform into a car. Made in about 5,000 unique parts of recycled steel, which range from a car parts to television parts, the sculpture’s been weld together and expertly polished to stand firm at over 2.5 meters. Strong layers of lacquer have been used on the sculpture to protect it from weathering. In case you’ve liked the transformer robot, RoboSteel can arrange for one to reach you, but that’ll come for € 5,500 (about $7,500).
Via: RoboSteel
- World's first commercial Brain-Computer Interface, the Intendix displayed -
The sci-fi world realities are steadily making way into our lives from reel to real life. While we’ve seen concepts using only the power of the brain to input text, Guger Technologies has gone step beyond and have got the first commercial brain computer interface to exhibit at CeBIT 2010. Being commercialized strictly for patients suffering from locked-in syndrome and other communication-impairing conditions, the Intendix as the technique is called, opens doors for the first commercial BCI that’ll send us dumping our keyboards and mice.
Priced at $12,000 per unit, the Intendix has an easily usable interface which can be learnt in under 10 minutes of training. To use the Intendix, a cap with EEG sensors has to be worn by the patient. Then concentrating on a grid of letters that flashes on the screen the user can type the word he wants. Getting used to the system, the patients will be able to type 1 letter per second, the seed the interface can manage. There is a little video demo of the Intendix that you can see after the jump.
Via: SingularityHub/PopSci
- Scrap-made Cyborg outfit with mechanical arm scared the shit out of me -
Come what may, for few, life is about never giving in. No matter how demanding things are, their efforts never take a back foot. When there’s grit in determination, then even a mad cyborg outfit like this conceived by DIY-er M.C. Langer isn’t a farfetched reality. The cyborg attachments for this part human and part cyborg outfit are readied in 90% of dead computer pieces. The scrap-made mechanical arm is activated by spring action or motorized action, while the lighting eye and a similar chest plate too are made from old PC and Mac parts. Read further for a few more image and videos, and in case you want to try one yourself, the click here.
Via: Instructables
- MSI announces the Wind U160, netbook that boasts 15hrs battery life -
Coming of age in the netbook category, with battery life as a stance to impress, MSI has announced the Wind U160, MSI’s second notebook to feature the new Pine Trail platform powered by Intel’s Atom N450 processor. Because we said battery was where MSI is trying to make an impression, it’s fitting to tell you that the Wind U160 with 10-inch backlit LED display boasts a 15-hour battery life when running in MSI’s exclusive ECO mode. Measuring only 0.98 inches at its widest point, the uniquely designed U160 is the thinnest Wind model to date. Featuring a units’ raised chiclet keyboard and a wide touchpad for typing comfort and accuracy, the $379.99 U160 with 1GB DDR2 RAM, 160GB hard drive, 6-cell battery, Bluetooth for connectivity and Windows 7 as OS, will be available in a fashionable sparkling gold or a more formal black. In case you’re worried about the security, the U160 features an EasyFace facial recognition security software.
Press ReleaseMSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is proud to announce the availability of the 2010 iF Product Design Award Winning Wind U160. The U160, MSI’s second netbook to feature the new Pine Trail platform, is powered by the Intel® Atom N450™ Processor. The incredibly efficient and Energy Star compliant U160 boosts a 15 hour battery life when running in MSI’s exclusive ECO mode. This allows users to get through a full day of work or school without having to bring their adapter.
Abandoning the traditional clamshell form, the Wind U160 ushers in a new era of netbook design. From the illuminated MSI logo on the netbook’s outer surface to the power button placed on the U160’s cylindrical hinge, the newest Wind model sports a slim new footprint. Just 0.98 inches at its widest point, the U160 is the thinnest Wind model to date.
The units’ raised chiclet keyboard and seamless wide touchpad increase both accuracy and comfort while typing. The U160 is available in a fashionable sparkling gold or a more formal black, and its Color Film Print finish gives it a sleek stylish new look.
The newest edition to the Wind family will also ships with 10-inch backlit LED display, 1 GB of DDR2 memory, a 160GB hard drive, a 6-cell battery, Bluetooth connectivity and Microsoft’s Windows 7 Starter. MSI also included its user friendly EasyFace facial recognition security software to help U160 users protect their information.
The MSI Wind U160 costs just $379.99 and is available now at Fry’s (Fry’s product number L1600) and online at Newegg and Buy.com.
- Kojiro humanoid with human-like musculoskeletal system -
We’ve seen humanoids, few good to mimic human emotions, while a few good to serve as domestic servants. But none, as far as I remember has been done in such a skeletal structure that’s almost like ours. This humanoid dubbed Kojiro built in a musculoskeletal system identical to ours, is a brainchild of Tokyo University’s JSK Robotics Laboratory. Created with a motive to make it walk and help us with household chores someday, Kojiro for now works on a system of artificial bones, muscles and tendons that helps the bot move in a natural way, something we haven’t seen before. The robot with a spine that makes it lightweight and give it the much required flexibility, also has a system which works around about 100 human like tendon-muscle structures to give Kojiro 60 degrees of freedom. The bot’s almost ready for the homes, but still let’s wait until the researchers tweak computer algorithms to control Kojiro’s movement to carry out more complex tasks. Continue reading for the video.
- T-Shirts & Apparel : Bazinga! Babydoll -
(knock knock knock) Customer! (knock knock knock) Customer! (knock knock knock) Customer! Sheldon: You know, Ive always wanted to go to a goth nighclub.
Howard: Really?
Sheldon: Bazinga! None of you ever sees my practical jokes coming, do you? - T-Shirts & Apparel : Bazinga! -
Prepare them to fall victim to another one of your classic practical jokes. Sheldon: You know, Ive always wanted to go to a goth nighclub.
Howard: Really?
Sheldon: Bazinga! None of you ever sees my practical jokes coming, do you? $17.99 - T-Shirts & Apparel : Cuttle Me Babydoll -
Who needs a slanket when you have a cuttlefish? Cephalopods make us happy. According to Wikipedia, "Some cephalopods are able to fly distances up to 50 m." Fly. Through the air. As in, "It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a flying squid." We, for one, welcome our new betentacled masters. $18.99 - T-Shirts & Apparel : Torso-Friendly Hadron Collider -
You might wear a size large, but if not, you can settle for your own personal small through 3X hadron collider. If you see any time-traveling birds with crusts of bread flying over Switzerland or France, please alert the scientists. Thank you. $15.99 - $17.99 - Geek Toys : Alien 18" Figure -
BIG Chap is right.What's that you say? You want an intricately detailed, beautifully painted, and fully articulated figure of the classic Alien from the 1979 movie of the same name? Yeah, we've got that. It even has a bendy tail! - Gadgets : Mini iPhone Microphone -
Mini microphone vastly improves the quality of iPhone sound recordingPlug the Mini-Mic into your iPhone's headphones jack and be prepared to be amazed at the leap in audio quality! Small, lightweight, and portable, it requires no batteries. Just pop it in, point it in the direction you want to record, and go! $12.99 - Home & Office : Chat Pillows -
Pillow fights are more fun when you can slap someone with a WTFYou know what these are? Fat litter. Sofa parasites. You bring them into your home, they sit on your chair, they watch your TV, they take up space. You can't even SIT on them!! But they're awfully cute... $14.99 - Geek Toys : Portal Weighted Companion Cube "Fuzzy Dice" -
Classic fuzzy dice meet cherished video gameYour faithful companion from the Enrichment Center will now accompany you on road trips and generally be adorable and squishy. Take care of them and if your car catches fire, be sure not to let them burninate. $29.99
