Glove made with cast of Wilcox's hand / Boot with Wilcox's enlarged thumbprint on the sole.
Monday, October 29, 2007
the first man in space
click the link to learn about how much of a badass this dude was:
http://home.att.net/~1.elliott/JOEKITTINGER.HTML
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/Kittinger/EX31.htm
Friday, October 26, 2007
In honor of the new macbook
Floss out your auditory shortcomings and technological upbringings
Gold-plated hearing aid (left) and phone (right)
this is real
The PMTs collect the pale blue light called Cerenkov light which is emitted by particles travelling fast as light in the water. By measuring the direction and intensity of this light,information about particle interactions such as neutrino interactions or proton decay can be determined. Compared to Kamiokande, Super-Kamiokande has ten times the volume and twice the density of PMTs. Construction of the detector was completed in 1995 and observation began on
The detector consists of an inner volume and an outer volume which contain 32,000 tons and 18,000 tons of pure water respectively. The outer detector is used to veto entering cosmic ray muons and is used as a buffer to keep radiation emitted by the surrounding rock and walls from entering the inner volume. The inner detector has 11,200 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) attached to the bottom, top and sides facing inward.
The 2057 Mercedes-Benz SilverFlow
The 2057 Mercedes-Benz SilverFlow is the company's entry into the annual LA Auto Show Design Challenge, which this year carries the theme of "Robocar 2057." It's styled after the sleek Grand Prix racers Mercedes-Benz used to build, although by looking at it — while it's certainly retro — the SilverFlow definitely doesn't look aged.
The minds behind the SilverFlow are obviously fed healthy doses of science fiction and we love them for it. The car is composed of micro-metallic particles that are assembled into various patterns by magnetic fields, activated by a key fob (or a charm for your key ring). Any color combo, configuration or size is possible depending on the programming built into the fob, and damage is repaired in a jiffy, too.
Steorn: "just you wait"
After 3 1/2 months of almost complete silence from Steorn, CEO Sean McCarthy granted an interview last week which was published today at the Free Energy Truth blog. The difficult questions were left unasked, but the interview does give a feeling for what Steorn's been up to lately. Here are some excerpts:
On what they've been doing for the past few months:
We continue to work on Orbo. Obviously we are looking at different implementations of it, more reliable implementations of it both mechanical and non mechanical. We’re also looking at the material science behind these time variant magnetic transactions as in what’s the real driver for them. What makes one material have a different response from another material? We’ve looked at a lot of third party research, fund some research and obviously do our own research into this area, we have managed to rule out most of the drivers to time based domain response (eddy currents, heat and so on) but as to why ferrite has a different response to Iron – well more work to be done.
On where the second demo will be located:
It will most likely be in Dublin, Ireland.
On what their recently trademarked name SteornLab refers to:
An awful lot of what we have developed over the years has been based on tests... SteornLab relates to the productization of these testing technologies we’ve developed over the years.
On whether Orbo creates or extracts energy:
It’s a question of views. I would say that, in the same way as there is a mass/energy equivalent there is also a form of time/energy equivalent and whether you consider that energy creation or conversion is a matter of semantics.
On whether Steorn will license Orbo for military and weapons applications:
It’s specifically precluded.
On the development of the mechanical, as well as a solid-state version of Orbo:
We have some engineering issues that we are currently resolving in terms of mechanical systems; we are constantly looking at ways to capture and express the energy in a real world environment that are simpler and simpler and there is nothing simpler than a solid state device. So it’s in the plan, but its not something that we [are] actively engaged in at this time.
On whether anyone else has ever discovered the effect behind Orbo:
I think lots of people have. I can look at many of the other free energy claimants and understand exactly how they could work. I could also see why many would be difficult to replicate without understanding what was happening.
There are two main points that I take from this interview: 1) Steorn is still humming along, and still believes in what they have, and 2) Don't expect a second demo any time soon.
I add the second point because Sean thinks that the second demo will "most likely" take place in Dublin. If it were to take place further off than Dublin, a good deal of planning would be involved; so the fact that it's still not certain whether it will be in Dublin or elsewhere means that they haven't reached the point yet of planning for an actual second event.
Another curiosity is that Steorn is already looking to productize the testing technology they've acquired and developed for the purpose of testing Orbo. For them to spare the energy to develop a tangential line of business, does this mean they are running short of cash, or doubting the future prospects of Orbo, at least in the near term?
Steorn is still chugging away, and most signs are that they're still confidant in the development of Orbo. Once again, there's nothing new here – the message from Steorn is, as usual: just you wait.
this is just plain sad
out of all the horse in the world.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/10/25/make.a.wish.horse.kfda?iref=videosearch
Worst part about this is that CNN's original title for the piece was:
pitbulls kill cancer boy's horse
http://www.cnn.
Worst part about this is that CNN's original title for the piece was:
pitbulls kill cancer boy's horse
on ly 11 percent
A survey on the role the Internet plays in people's lives by Zogby International and communications consultancy, 463 Communications, found that 24 percent of Americans said the Internet could replace a partner for some period of time.
The percentage was highest among singles of whom 31 percent said the Internet could be a substitute -- with no difference among males and females.
The researchers said the online survey of 9,743 adults conducted between October 4-8 showed that some younger people viewed the Internet as their new best friend.
For while more than one in four Americans has a social networking profile such as MySpace or Facebook, among 18-24 year-olds this is almost mandatory with 78 percent of them having a social networking profile.
Breaking it down by political beliefs, the study found more Democrats have a social networking presence than Republicans -- at 32 percent to 22 percent.
But although American may love the Internet, most are not prepared to implant it into their brain -- even if it was safe, the researchers said.
Only 11 percent of respondents said they would be willing to safely implant a device that let them use their mind to access the Internet although one in five would insert a chip into a child 13 years old or younger to help track them.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Monkey v. Monkey
The deputy mayor of the Indian capital Delhi has died a day after being attacked by a horde of wild monkeys.
Dark Magic.
White Magic.
SS Bajwa suffered serious head injuries when he fell from the first-floor terrace of his home on Saturday morning trying to fight off the monkeys.
The city has long struggled to counter its plague of monkeys, which invade government complexes and temples, snatch food and scare passers-by.
The High Court ordered the city to find an answer to the problem last year.
Solution elusive
One approach has been to train bands of larger, more ferocious langur monkeys to go after the smaller groups of Rhesus macaques.
The city has also employed monkey catchers to round them up so they can be moved to forests.
But the problem has persisted.
Culling is seen as unacceptable to devout Hindus, who revere the monkeys as a manifestation of the monkey god Hanuman, and often feed them bananas and peanuts.
Urban development around the city has also been blamed for destroying the monkeys' natural habitat.
Mr Bajwa, a member of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is survived by his wife and a son, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.
Dark Magic.
White Magic.
wish to be
12 Year Old Truant Selling Extras, Washington, D.C., 1912
The photographer's note reads:
12 yr. old truant selling extras during school hours, 4/15/12. "Thought I'd ruther sel extras today then school. I go to St Patrick's School." At 2 A.M. April 19, I found him still selling extras, with several other boys not much older. Joseph O'Conner, 922 Twenty-second St., N.W., is a truant. Did not get along in public school.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Recent deaths lead to long overdue analysis
Officials say that these new accounts could be indicative of a long over-looked shift in adolescent elephant culture.
GAUHATI, India - Six Asiatic wild elephants were electrocuted as they went berserk after drinking rice beer in India's remote northeast, a wildlife official said Tuesday.
Drunk Elephant (artist's rendition)
GAUHATI, India - Six Asiatic wild elephants were electrocuted as they went berserk after drinking rice beer in India's remote northeast, a wildlife official said Tuesday.
Nearly 40 elephants came to a village on Friday looking for food. Some found beer, which farmers ferment and keep in plastic and tin drums in their huts, said Sunil Kumar, a state wildlife official.
They got drunk, uprooted a utility pole carrying power lines and were electrocuted in Chandan Nukat, a village nearly 150 miles west of Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state, Kumar said.
"There would have been more casualties had the villagers not chased them away," said Dipu Mark, a local conservationist.
The elephants are known to have a taste for rice beer brewed by tribal communities in India's northeast. Four wild elephants died in similar circumstances in the region three years ago.
Drunk Elephant (artist's rendition)India's northeast accounts for the world's largest concentration of wild Asiatic elephants with the states of Assam and Meghalaya alone estimated to have 7,000 of them.
"It's great to have such a huge number of elephants, but the increasing man-elephant conflict following the shrinkage in their habitat due to the growing human population is giving us nightmares," said Pradyut Bordoloi, a former forest and environment minister for Assam.
Thank you Japan
Fearing Crime, Japanese Wear the Hiding Place
Though street crime is relatively low in Japan, quirky camouflage designs like this vending-machine dress are being offered to an increasingly anxious public to hide from would-be assailants.
TOKYO, Oct. 19 — On a narrow Tokyo street, near a beef bowl restaurant and a pachinko parlor, Aya Tsukioka demonstrated new clothing designs that she hopes will ease Japan’s growing fears of crime.
Deftly, Ms. Tsukioka, a 29-year-old experimental fashion designer, lifted a flap on her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers — by disguising herself as a vending machine.
The wearer hides behind the sheet, printed with an actual-size photo of a vending machine. Ms. Tsukioka’s clothing is still in development, but she already has several versions, including one that unfolds from a kimono and a deluxe model with four sides for more complete camouflaging.
These elaborate defenses are coming at a time when crime rates are actually declining in Japan. But the Japanese, sensitive to the slightest signs of social fraying, say they feel growing anxiety about safety, fanned by sensationalist news media. Instead of pepper spray, though, they are devising a variety of novel solutions, some high-tech, others quirky, but all reflecting a peculiarly Japanese sensibility.
Take the “manhole bag,” a purse that can hide valuables by unfolding to look like a sewer cover. Lay it on the street with your wallet inside, and unwitting thieves are supposed to walk right by. There is also a line of knife-proof high school uniforms made with the same material as Kevlar, and a book with tips on how to dress even the nerdiest children like “pseudohoodlums” to fend off schoolyard bullies.
There are pastel-colored cellphones for children that parents can track, and a chip for backpacks that signals when children enter and leave school.
The devices’ creators admit that some of their ideas may seem far-fetched, especially to crime-hardened Americans. And even some Japanese find some of them a tad naïve, possibly reflecting the nation’s relative lack of experience with actual street crime. Despite media attention on a few sensational cases, the rate of violent crime remains just one-seventh of America’s.
But the devices’ creators also argue that Japan’s ideas about crime prevention are a product of deeper cultural differences. While Americans want to protect themselves from criminals, or even strike back, the creators say many Japanese favor camouflage and deception, reflecting a culture that abhors self-assertion, even in self-defense.
“It is just easier for Japanese to hide,” Ms. Tsukioka said. “Making a scene would be too embarrassing.” She said her vending machine disguise was inspired by a trick used by the ancient ninja, who cloaked themselves in black blankets at night.
To be sure, some of these ideas have yet to become commercially viable. However, the fact that they were greeted here with straight faces, or even appeared at all, underscores another, less appreciated facet of Japanese society: its fondness for oddball ideas and inventions.
Japan’s corporate labs have showered the world with technology, from transistor radios to hybrid cars. But the nation is also home to a prolific subculture of individual inventors, whose ideas range from practical to bizarre. Inventors say a tradition of tinkering and building has made Japan welcoming to experimental ideas, no matter how eccentric.
“Japanese society won’t just laugh, so inventors are not afraid to try new things,” said Takumi Hirai, chairman of Japan’s largest association of individual inventors, the 10,000-member Hatsumeigakkai.
In fact, Japan produces so many unusual inventions that it even has a word for them: chindogu, or “queer tools.” The term was popularized by Kenji Kawakami, whose hundreds of intentionally impractical and humorous inventions have won him international attention as Japan’s answer to Rube Goldberg. His creations, which he calls “unuseless,” include a roll of toilet paper attached to the head for easy reach in hay fever season, and tiny mops for a cat’s feet that polish the floor as the cat prowls.
Mr. Kawakami said that while some of Japan’s anticrime devices might not seem practical, they were valuable because they might lead to even better ideas.
“Even useless things can be useful,” he said. “The weird logic of these inventions helps us see the world in fresh ways.”
Even some of the less unusual anticrime devices here reflect a singular logic. A pair of women’s sunglasses has wraparound lenses so dark no one can see where the wearer is looking. These are intended to scare off sexual harassers on Tokyo’s crowded trains, where the groping of women is a constant problem.
The same is true of some of the solutions for schoolyard bullying, a big problem in Japan. Kaori Nakano, a fashion historian, wrote a book with a chapter on how to ward off bullies with the “pseudohoodlum” attire. Her advice includes substituting a white belt for the standard black one in Japanese school uniforms, preferably with metallic studs or tiny mirrors, and buying short socks with flashy patterns.
“Japan is so fashion conscious that just changing the way you dress can make you safer,” Ms. Nakano said. “Culture plays a big role in risk prevention.”
Ms. Tsukioka said she chose the vending-machine motif because the machines are so common on Japan’s streets. For children, she has a backpack that transforms into a Japanese-style fire hydrant, hiding the child. The “manhole bag” was also her idea.
Ms. Tsukioka said her disguises could be a bit impractical, “especially when your hands are shaking.” Still, she said she hoped the designs or some variation of them could be marketed widely. So far, she said, she has sold about 20 vending-machine skirts for about $800 each, printing and sewing each by hand.
She said she had never heard of a skirt’s actually preventing a crime. But on a recent afternoon in Tokyo, bystanders stared as she unfolded the sheet. But once she stood behind it next to a row of actual vending machines, the image proved persuasive enough camouflage that passers-by did not seem to notice her.
She said that while her ideas might be fanciful, Japan’s willingness to indulge the imagination was one of its cultural strengths.
“These ideas might strike foreigners as far-fetched,” she added, “but in Japan, they can become reality.”
Monday, October 22, 2007
Red Rover, Red Rover, send Trevi on over.
A group calling itself the ATM Azionefuturista 2007 has turned one of Rome's most famous monument into a bloodied protest canvas.One of its members, in full Futurist glee, “threw a bucket of red paint or dye into Rome's Trevi Fountain on Friday, coloring the waters of the 18th-century monument bright red in front of a crowd of astonished tourists and residents.”
The man escaped, leaving the fountain, which normally runs on a closed cycle, spouting red water. Police arrived and technicians briefly shut off the water before restoring a clear flow.
Experts said the baroque fountain was not permanently damaged and the marble statues depicting the sea deity Neptune on his chariot had not absorbed the color.
But alas, based on leaflets found nearby, officials think he was simply protesting against the “expenses incurred in organizing the Rome Film Festival and symbolically referred to the event's red carpet.”
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
booyah.
If anyone has information on where I can purchase this jacket, please be kind enough to let me know immediately. I am very sincere in my plea to you. Reward: chief data-miner position at local firm
WHAAAAAAAAAAT! hell yeah.
The Earth-like Gliese 581C circles a star in the constellation of Libra that is cooler than our sun. Photograph: European Southern Observatory/AP
Scientists have discovered a warm and rocky "second Earth" circling a star, a find they believe dramatically boosts the prospects that we are not alone.
The planet is the most Earth-like ever spotted and is thought to have perfect conditions for water, an essential ingredient for life. Researchers detected the planet orbiting one of Earth's nearest stars, a cool red dwarf called Gliese 581, 20 light years away in the constellation of Libra.
Measurements of the planet's celestial path suggest it is 1½ times the size of our home planet, and orbits close to its sun, with a year of just 13 days. The planet's orbit brings it 14 times closer to its star than Earth is to the sun. But Gliese 581 burns at only 3,000C, half the temperature of our own sun, making conditions on the planet comfortable for life, with average ground temperatures estimated at 0 to 40C. Researchers claim the planet is likely to have an atmosphere. The discovery follows a three-year search for habitable planets by the European Southern Observatory at La Silla in Chile.
"We wouldn't be surprised if there is life on this planet," said Stephane Udry, an astronomer on the project at the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland.
Two years ago, the same team discovered a giant Neptune-sized planet orbiting Gliese 581. A closer look revealed the latest planetary discovery, along with a third, larger planet that orbits the star every 84 days. The planets have been named after their star, with the most earthlike called Gliese 581c. The team spotted the planet by searching the "habitable zone".
It seems engineers are still trying to think up new ways to put tornadoes to work. This time, a twister 34.43 meters high inside the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany is designed to combat fire and dust. So how does one create a tornado?
Well, 144 individual air jets get things moving. It takes about seven minutes for the jets to move 28 tons of air into a concentrated spiral, made visible by carbon dioxide vapor fed into the swirling plume. The tornado harmlessly sucks in small particles like dust and carries it toward vents in the roof and, in the event of a fire, harmful smoke would also be evacuated.
The Guinness Book Of World Records officially marked the Mercedes-Benz man-made tornado down as the world's tallest on Monday.
GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLL!!!!
Although well known for its robotics and tiny gadgets, Japan's other secret weapon is the country's futuristic architecture. Nihon's latest design achievement is the Baria soccer ball home. Shaped exactly like a soccer ball, the 32-sided structures are made of the same durable material used to construct the famed Tokyo Dome. And, if you're not into the whole silver bubble from the future look, the company will coat the structures in any color you choose. These rooms can be used separately or fitted together to form an entire home.
Resistant to floods and earthquakes the Baria comes in three sizes: Large (about 247 sq ft.) for 35,800,000 yen ($306,310), medium for 16,800,000 yen ($143,743), and small for 3,950,000 yen ($33,796). Currently, these structures are primarily available in Japan, but the company will consider sending domes abroad if you contact them directly here.Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Age-old baby theft product receives long awaited re-design
Design Features- The Safe Babies® apron is worn over the shoulders, and drapes across the torso. Each Safe Babies® apron has two pouches/pockets in front and two in back allowing a minimum of four infants to be swiped.
- The one-piece construction of the apron contains no seams at shoulder or lower edges, preventing babies from tumbling out during the theft.
- Universal front/back orientation allows you to maintain a flexible system for baby placement based on value.
- Velcro® side fasteners for quick, strong and adjustable closures.
- One size fits all design.
- Heavy-duty, durable and washable 100% cotton duck fabric.
- Bright, visible, international yellow color for easy recognition during surrender situations.
- Flat, compact storage.
- 100% made in the USA
Additional Features
- Infants are individually placed in the Safe Babies® pouches/pockets while still wrapped in their warm blankets or clothes and are held close to the felon's body for concealment.
- Wearer's arms are free to open doors, carry other valuables, or access necessary weapons.
Monday, October 15, 2007
water. space.
Friday, October 12, 2007
suprise, humans are actually aliens
Think "flying saucer" and UFOs or 1950s B movies come to mind (see "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" or "The Day the Earth Stood Still"). But now researchers have built an unmanned aerial vehicle that looks and acts like the imagined thing.
The disc-shaped device can take off vertically from any surface, land practically anywhere, and if it accidentally contacts a building or cliff, it won't explode into a fireball, like those rascally helicopters.
These features could make the aircraft uniquely suited to flying in urban war zones, aiding with search and rescue in disaster areas, inspecting crops and pipelines, and taking aerial photographs."You can take it down to a foot in diameter and we are told it is fully scaleable up to a large-sized craft," said David Steel, director of GFS Projects in Peterborough, England.
"GFS" stands for Geoff's Flying Saucer, after Geoff Hatton, the engineer and inventor who originally conceived of the idea.
Although flying saucers are a favorite among extra terrestrials, Earthbound engineers have had a more difficult time getting the vehicles off the ground.
Some designs will hover, but they can't move up or down to navigate over a hill or building, for example. Other designs do not lend themselves to maneuverability or steering.
Hatton's design accomplishes both.
The vehicle looks something like an upside-down bowl with a propeller on top. When the propeller spins, air gets pushed down over the outer surface of the bowl. That action creates lower air pressure on top of the craft and higher air pressure below, giving the vehicle lift.
The design makes it easy to incorporate a large payload at the center of gravity, said Holger Babinsky, associate professor of aerodynamics at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.
"You can do it in a helicopter, but you have the blades that stick out a long way and if you want to maneuver in a tight terrain, that's dangerous," he said.
Air flaps around the edge of the saucer prevent it from spinning like a top and allow the controller to steer it.
According to Steel, the saucer is more stable and easier to fly than a helicopter and because it has fewer moving parts than a helicopter, it's easier to build and maintain.
But fuel efficiency could be an issue, said Holger. "That is the number one killer," he said.
The reason is that the fan is relatively small and in a confined space and needs to produce high volumes of air.
"The batteries don't last as long because the amount of power you convert into thrust is not so great because the efficiency is low," he said.
The U.S. Department of Defense has its eye on the saucer and earlier this year awarded GFS with a contract to demonstrate that the craft could hover and maneuver. In fact, the flying saucer did both, flying in winds of more than 10 mph.
This past September, the U.K. Ministry of Defense selected GFS as one of six teams to compete in the Grand Challenge Program, a competition next July for autonomous vehicles. The saucer will be equipped with cameras and infrared technology to find hidden threats along a designated course.
Congratulations, Geoff on effectively desensitizing us to the first real invasion, and thus, sealing our fate.Thursday, October 11, 2007
wake-up inferior mammal
If you want to be scared awake by a big, talking robot head rather than just jolted awake by a buzzer or the radio like usual, Mr. Clock Radio is for you. This sassy bot head sits atop a clock, just waiting for the designated time to come to life and rouse you from your slumbers.
He's got 30 different programmable voices, from a soothing voice to wake you up gently to a shouting drill sergeant if you really hate yourself, or, if you feel like just wasting your money on a big robotic head you'll never use, you can have it play CDs or MP3s as well. It's sure to make your bedroom look extra-cool, as nothing says hip and together like a gimmicky, robot-themed alarm clock. What are you waiting for?!Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Toyota I-Real concept car makes the Segway look prehistoric
Toyota's most recent personal mobility concept car called the I-Unit won rave reviews for it's futuristic looks, but was just too weird for most to imagine actually buying one. Now the automaker has updated the concept with a new model called the I-Real, as in "this is probably something we really will make and you really will buy."
Far more practical than its predecessor, the I-Real is made of lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic, features operating controls in the side arm rests rather than offering a steering wheel and is capable of speeds up to 18.6 mile per hour. And, like the I-Unit, the I-Real can go from an upright position to a reclined position for its High-Speed Mode. Because this is a concept vehicle, the Segway can rest easy for now, but the I-Real is so sexy don't be surprised if customer demand forces Toyota to bring the concept vehicle to market long before the robots take over.Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Illy Cafe in Push Button House (Lands in NY)
For some time, designers, architects and builders all over the world have tinkered with the idea of turning excess standard shipping containers into living quarters. Some of the incarnations of the lowly metal box are downright chic, including artist-architect Adam Kalkin’s Quik House for which he apparently has more orders than he can handle.But these metal containers have also drawn the attention of some leading brands that have started to use the eye-popping ideas to full advantage. Holiday shoppers milling about the Time Warner Center in New York will have a fabulous chance to experience one of these soon. Between November 28 and December 29, 2007, they can rest, relax and sip a perfect cup of illy espresso in one of Kalkin’s creations, the temporary Push Button House cafe that the Trieste, Italy-based illycaffè will install there.
The European premier of this concept by Alan Kalkin and illy took place at the 52nd Venice Biennale where illy continues to partner with the Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia by providing the visitors each year a space to relax and enjoy their complimentary espresso. This was illy’s fourth year of establishing the refreshment area at the Biennale but the Push Button House version created an unprecedented buzz.
With the push of a button, the house opens in 90 seconds like a flower and transforms from a compact container into a fully furnished and functional space with a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, living room and library. All materials used in the Biennale house were recyclable or recycled. As Andrea Illy, chairman and CEO of illycaffe, has been quoted as saying, illy was initially interested in Kalkin’s idea as an examination of “home as one continuous mouldable surface, a relief against which human activity would pop out.”
Kalkin’s concepts have proven to be adaptable to many circumstances. His company has developed container-unit projects for everything from disaster-relief housing to luxury dwellings (pictured below), and for promotional purposes such as the illy cafe. By Tuija Seipell.
uh-oh
Monday, October 8, 2007
I'm looking for someone to go in on this with me
Having a tough time holding a conversation with your Roomba? This Swami head robot will be able to do what previous robots have failed at. This head is a friend and a scholar. The Swami robot comes loaded with a "revolutionary" artificial-intelligence software, 30 motors that controls the face, small cameras in the eyes and it's own laptop that powers the creepy guy.
This Swami head robot will be able to recognize individuals, hold conversations, create friendships and even give advice.
Cost:
$75,000
Forecasted income generated from robot's fortune telling abilities:
$75,001
Friday, October 5, 2007
Foldable oven lets you cook anywhere
Good news for all of you who live in your cars: a foldable cloth oven has just been developed that'll finally allow you to eat a hot meal that hasn't been heated with your cigarette lighter. Yes, researchers at the Taiwan Textile Institute have figured out a way for a cloth oven that weighs only a few hundred grams to heat itself up to up to 300°F.
Think of the potential! Now you can make French-bread pizzas anywhere. Keep it in one of your desk drawers to make TV dinners at work. Make a soufflé on the passenger seat of your car. Bake a cake in the middle of your yard for some reason. The possibilities are truly endless.New plastic is thin, transparent, and as strong as steel
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed what seems to be a kind of miracle plastic, one that's thin and transparent yet as strong and durable as steel. The new material could be used for lighter, stronger armor for soldiers as well as improving microtechnology like microchips or biomedical sensors, among other things.
Not only is it thin and strong, but the superplastic is also very eco-friendly to produce. Composed mainly of clay and a nontoxic glue similar to what you used to eat in kindergarten, it takes very little energy to make and is completely biodegradable. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, apparently they're already working on practical applications for it, and it should be ready to roll in just a couple of years. Awesome.Thursday, October 4, 2007
I am in complete and utter support of this advancement
swift, painty $18,000 justice
Sick of losing at paintball? Is it humiliating to keep losing again and again and again?
Leveling the playing field....get even....................................get mean AND fast.
The Paintball Panzer provides you with:
a fully armored vehicle, it's got a 24-inch gun that unleashes fury at the rate of 15 paintballs a second. You'll finally feel like the big winner that you always knew you were.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Scientists invent 30 year continuous-power laptop battery, and immediately start dancin' around
Your next laptop could have a continuous power battery that lasts for 30 years without a single recharge thanks to work being funded by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. The breakthrough betavoltaic power cells are constructed from semiconductors and use radioisotopes as the energy source. As the radioactive material decays it emits beta particles that transform into electric power capable of fueling an electrical device like a laptop for years.
Although betavoltaic batteries sound Nuclear they’re not, they’re neither use fission/fusion or chemical processes to produce energy and so (do not produce any radioactive or hazardous waste). Betavoltaics generate power when an electron strikes a particular interface between two layers of material. The Process uses beta electron emissions that occur when a neutron decays into a proton which causes a forward bias in the semiconductor. This makes the betavoltaic cell a forward bias diode of sorts, similar in some respects to a photovoltaic (solar) cell. Electrons scatter out of their normal orbits in the semiconductor and into the circuit creating a usable electric current.
The profile of the batteries can be quite small and thin, a porous silicon material is used to collect the hydrogen isotope tritium which is generated in the process. The reaction is non-thermal which means laptops and other small devices like mobile phones will run much cooler than with traditional lithium-ion power batteries. The reason the battery lasts so long is that neutron beta-decay into protons is the world's most concentrated source of electricity, truly demonstrating Einstein’s theory E=MC2.
The best part about these cells are when they eventually run out of power they are totally inert and non-toxic, so environmentalists need not fear these high tech scientific wonder batteries. If all goes well plans are for these cells to reach store shelves in about 2 to 3 years.
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