Tuesday 31 July 2007

Levitating Keys use magnets to Float Keys



Fresh out of Korea today comes a newly invented keyboard that uses magnetic levitation instead of springs to absorb the pressure applied by finger stabbing the keyboard inwhich it appears enable smoother finger control flow in the process of typing.


Embotec the company introducing this has a very impressive mouse over with sound effects and squeeze zoom graphics website but has not very creative naming for its interesting products.

Nevertheless this keyboard must feel rather dreamy using it, since when depressing the keys will make for a soundless experience and probably provide users with a distinct finger sensation.


via Digital World Tokyo

Oil & Water Capsules Create Flexible Displays


Significant problems occur when Developers of flexible displays attempt to use OLED's because they are hampered by the fact that the OLEDs get hotter than the plastic substrate, making manufacture difficult and expensive.

So LG Philips instead of making pixels out of OLEDs, has designed pixels out of oil and water contained in tiny plastic cells connected to plastic electrodes. The oil, which is opaque, floats on the water and obscures a coloured surface beneath. But applying an electric field forces the oil away from the water, revealing the coloured layer beneath and changing the colour of the pixel. This type of reflective display can be made at low temperatures in a small number of steps, says the company.

via Endgadget

Monday 30 July 2007

Convenience on Handsfree Transporter



Using the gyro technology that Dean Kamen used when he invented the Segway, a German engineer Ulrich Kahlert has ripped apart a Segway and reconfigured it to make a Handsfree Transporter, which is a hands free scooter built for specific tasks, such as a Steadicam system or worker transport to a novelty entertainment and advertising tool. There are some videos at the coolly designed site.


One can only speculate at this time that Ulrich Kahlert has got permission from Dean Kamen to re-invent his Segway, nevertheless this puppy travels at 21kmh up to 35 km distance on smooth surfaces and takes 5 hours to recharge via standard domestic power source.
Source

Sunday 29 July 2007

New Super Paper Created from Element 6

A research team from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, has assembled particles of graphene oxide, a form of graphite and a cousin of diamonds, into very thin sheets.

They have developed a remarkably simple way to convert ordinary graphite particles into very thin but superstrong sheets that are tougher than steel and as flexible as carbon fiber but can be made much more cheaply. The discovery could spawn entirely new types of materials for applications as diverse as protective coatings, electronic components, batteries, and fuel cells.

Although this break thru has many profound implications for the creation of future technology, one can only hope this new material doesn't turn up in the stomach of an unsuspecting animal.

Samsung: Manufacturing the New Thin

Samsung has developed and now producing a new Display Port as well as a new flat panel monitor that uses OLED's

A new generation of super-thin, power-sipping displays is making its way to the market, stretching battery lives to new limits and perhaps one day posing a challenge to heavier, energy-gobbling LCDs.

The OLED Monitor only uses half the power of an LCD and the new Display Port transmits at twice the speed of other monitors.

DisplayPort will serve as a replacement for DVI, LVDS and eventually VGA. By using a transmission speed more than double that of today’s interfaces

Wonder if these new monitors will be part of the next update of Apple computers ?

Ultra-Thin Roll-Up Electric Piano



This real working electric piano weighs less than a kilogram and is only 3cm thick. It even has all those special features that its less flexible counterpart has, including multiple rhythm settings and cheesy demo music.


Very convenient, although there seems to be no mention of which batteries it uses ?

Saturday 28 July 2007

The very first iPhone ?


June 28, the iPhone hit the US market. Apple aficionados queued for days to be first in line to get their long awaited gadget.

fudder-employee Marc Esslinger is an Apple-fan as well . also because he has a very special relationship to Apple. His father Hartmut Esslinger designed the famous Apple IIc, which was Apples first portable computer (1984). fudder presents Marc's personal Apple-Story and a Photo-Gallery with partly never before seen Apple-Designs of the early 80s. Such as the very first iPhone from 1983.

Friday 27 July 2007

The little World of the algae Eater Snails I




In the wild these snails are imperceptibly tiny, so I suppose the soundtrack to this science movie works as a parody, nevertheless some may choose to turn the soundtrack off while others may blow their minds out in a car

code-switching: A little Consciousness Raising?

Linguists define code-switching as an alternation between two or more languages within a single conversation between people who have one or more language in common.
Ah! some people have the impertinance
What this means for most of us is that we participate in, and practice a type of verbal syntactic shape-shifting, frequently changing terms of speech and expression to accommodate the fluctuating needs of discourse within different social and cultural interactions.

re differences between speech and writing, public speaking and private

Often an unconscious act, code-switching is used for many purposes, including protection, identification, recognition, approval, and control.

ah, an obvious highlight of security and encryption qua credit and debt

With this exhibition, Quorum artists address these aspects of code-switching, exploring when and where the switch occurs and why the switch happens.

These probably going to be heaps of diversions in that show which could end up mummifying your intellect. So don't get to close !

Extrasolar Neighborhood Viewer

The Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium (7.4" x 2.5" x 4.0 " ) uses advanced GPS technology with point and click convenience to identify thousands of stars, planets, constellations and more. Simply point the SkyScout at any star in the sky and click the target button. The SkyScout will tell you what object you are looking at. To locate a star or planet, select the object’s name from the menu and follow the directional arrows through the viewfinder. SkyScout informs when you are on target.

This device locates and identifies over 6,000 stars, planets, and constellations from built-in database, Red LED backlit display for easy-to-read information and accepts SkyTour SD multi-media cards for interactive tours of the night sky also includes USB port for easy download of database updates.

Although use this device is too much and your probably going to experience severe neckpain and become afflicted with a bad case of squinty eye ?

But why doesn't the seller mention to use it like a computer cam ?

The Universe within 12.5 Light Years of our Sun







A Better Bigger Picture
of our extrasolar
neighborhood





via
HulleyeComesBy


Wednesday 25 July 2007

Human Blood Flow To Nanogenerate Electronics

Scientists are working out ways of treating human bodily ills by way of triggering enzyme behaviours in our blood irrigation pathways that may one day fuel future electronic gadgets like cell phones, mp3 players etc. Rearchers say .... Our bodies are good at converting chemical energy from glucose into the mechanical energy of our muscles, .... and our.... nanogenerators can take that mechanical energy and convert it to electrical energy for powering devices inside the body.
However they need ... to grow bigger nanowire arrays to raise the nanogenerators' current to microamperes, and to build a three-dimensional structure to raise the voltage to 0.5 V so that it can be used for powering devices. Although the researchers will have to learn how to control the precise length of grown nanowires.

Hey it seems if human technical persistance may eventually pay dividends in cytoplastic inclusions and green hygenic electronica !

Puzzler: An iPhone Sample Game

Puzzler is a little teaser puzzler game that illustrates the use of web standards and JavaScript for the iPhone.

To play the game simply double-click or double-tap on any set of 2 or more balls of the same color that are touching. The balls will disappear and any balls above or to the left of the balls you just eliminated will shift into new positions. The goal is to clear all the balls from the screen.

If you want to play this on your computer I'm imagining you may need Safari ?

Sunday 22 July 2007

You3b: New You Tube Triptych Maker



Jeff Crouse and Andrew Mahon from Eyebeam Production Lab have just launched a YouTube triptych maker called You3b.

An interesting idea, but without a reliably fast internet connection is a pain to experience, therefore the link on the image and here merely takes you to the browse window of the site. Not quite sure it can actually work for the viewer's experience though. Nevertheless take a peak, maybe see what you can create !

Virtual Bugs Crawl From Screen To Hand

Delicate Boundaries, a work by Chris Surgue uses human touch to dissolve the barrier of the computer screen. Using the body as a means of exchange, the system explores the subtle boundaries that exist between foreign systems and what it might mean to cross them. Lifelike digital animations swarm out of their virtual confinement onto the skin of a hand or arm when it makes contact with a computer screen creating an imaginative world where our bodies are a landscape for digital life to explore.

A-mars-ing Exploration Rover Animation

The Mars rovers never cease to amaze. Landed there with the purpose with an expected 3 month use, have now lasted 3 & 1/2 years and are presently captured in some severe dust storms. I imagine if future Rovers may be able to release some weather type balloons/vid cams during events like this, earth crews may be able to manage these events a little better, read latest news here.

Nevertheless, Maas Digital created this animation of the Mars Exploration Rover mission. The animation represents roughly five years of part-time work. Everything in the video is as accurate as possible to the real mission.

Aurgasm: A 4 Piece Turntable Symphony




Slight of hand musical engineering by 4 turntable DJ's. One can't help wondering just how this stimulating piece was either composed or written or perhaps arranged ?

Take Macro Photographs with iphone






Simply by using a cheap magnifier lens
over the iphone camera.
You can probably make a better image
than this flower which was taken from 4 "

Friday 20 July 2007

Memoire1 : Sublime Minimalist Timepiece

Maurice Lacroix has created the worlds first mechanical watch with a memory: Memoire pronounced me moire is both a mechanical watch and a chronograph.

It has two hands one for minutes and the other for seconds, a floating disk indicates the hour. A button on the crown of the device switches between the modes of telling the time and measuring an interval of time. After one switches to the "Chrono" one can also immediately switch to the "Time" mode.

The memory function kicks in when switching between reading the time and measuring an interval, which can be done infinitely without loss to mechanism and/or function of the ML 128 calibre manufacture movement. The Watch is constructed of 537 components including 9 patented switching hearts. Full pictures of the watch are yet to be revealed when the watch will be shown at Baselworld 2008 next spring.

An intriguing piece of music accompanies the Flash Intro - check it out.

Extreme Japanese Trompe-L'oeil Crop Art




Each year since 1993 Japanese farmers in the town of Inakadate in Aonomori prefecture, create trompe l'eoil crop art by growing a purple and yellow-leafed variety of rice along with their local green leafed variety. The rice is harvested September. Go to the Pink tentacle to see more, or hop directly to the source.

Wednesday 18 July 2007

Showerstart: Saves Water, Energy & Money

Using this device will help users save on their water bill and usage, energy used to heat water plus in the long run your utility expenses for energy and water will be significantly reduced.

The ShowerStart hot water saver claims to save (over the course of one year) 2,500 gallons of water and $100 in heating costs for an average family of 3, by automatically turning your shower off as soon as the water warms up. Flick the switch on the ShowerStart when you’re ready to go, and you’ll get hot water instantly. It mounts just behind your shower head, so you won’t even notice it’s there.

The ShowerStart system was designed so that it does not interfere with the water pressure delivered to your showerhead. This means, the force and flow of the shower will be the same as if the ShowerStart was not there.

Sunday 15 July 2007

Worlds Tallest and Shortest Men Meet




The world's tallest man, Bao Xishun at 2.36 metres (left), shakes hands with He Pingping, who only measures 72 centimetres.This video of the them meeting is a bit wonky and unfortunately we don't get to hear them speak it is nevertheless only just better than a static image. This source highlights Bao's recent marriage to a saleswoman Xia Shuujuan who is half his height and half his age.

Cool 3D Graffiti in Subway Station




This rather unbelievable 3D graffiti image is documented here where the Artist describes the notion of "sweet spot" perspective art. Its all in the eye of the beholder in relation to where the viewer is positioned as to whether the image crystalizes as a comprehensible form.

Printed Hologram Mimics Smooth Video

Japan's Dai NipponPrinting (DNP) and Sony PCI have just invented a printed Hologram that has enough information from two different images to mimic smooth moving video. It uses a Lippmann Hologram technique which uses two lasers and a series of interference patterns to impart up to 100 different images on a layer of polymer. Conventional printed holograms are stereoscopic and contain just two views embossed on plastic or foil, such as found on Credit cards and Currency notes. This technology
is capable of storing dynamic picture images, including animation and live-action created with stereogram technology. The newly developed hologram has the capacity to store in excess of 100 image frames on a single hologram...
The animated representation has the look and feel of a real video but they are not yet cheap to make so will be offset by potential savings made through curbing Piracy and Counterfeit of Goods, Fraud and Copyright largely because criminal groups can imitate real things and products in such a refined way that authenticity of said goods makes them indistinguishable from the real thing, Consequently all real goods in future will apparently be easier to detect. Yeah I suppose thats all very well but one can't stop wondering how they are actually going to fuse these holograms into the fabric or surfaces of say Furniture, Clothing and Rubber tyres. Perhaps its really only meant for the exotic end of the market like Blue Ray Disks and everything emanating from that like laptops,gadgets, etc ?

Magic Moving Images in Interactive Book

Here’s a very cool optical illusion book "Magic Moving Images - Animated Optical Illusions" by Colin Ord . Gaze in wonder in this video, as mysterious images transform into magical animations. Make the horses gallop, a flag wave, 3D objects turn, and see London landmarks come to life. Many other familiar objects spin, rotate and animate through the pages of this book. All that is needed is the special acetate overlay (provided in the book) to bring the images to life Moving images first appeared in the 19th century as simple optical devices such as the Thaumatrope and the Zoetrope. The process of displaying sequences of still images in rapid succession – to show apparent motion – is the basis of early film animation and motion pictures.

Saturday 14 July 2007

Holographic Liquid Stream in Fashion Catwak

A company recently held a fashion show in Florence that featured 3D Holographic sea creatures accompanying the fashion catwalk parade. While regular human models paced up and down the runway, a host of polyp-like CGI characters appeared in mid-air to interact with them within an underwater landscape. And in a unique twist, these animated holograms were entirely viewable from both sides of the stage.
More images and videos here, nevertheless here are the patented details of the device.

Thursday 12 July 2007

Blended iPhone Anybody

This video is in the Warning "Don't try this at home,kids" category. This Video springs to life in a large Revver interface. On a good 2 meg connection I imagine that buffering ain't a problem during playfeed. The video may press moral or ethical buttons in some people. But the video at the very least highlights a significant way to recycle an old unusable iphone nevertheless I doubt that all other disused cell phones will blend. will they ?

Neophone: New Open Source Cell Phone

Now there's an open source cell phone! OpenMoko is the software project (see their wiki page first; their home page is restricted); the hardware is custom-made by FIC. The phone runs Linux, has GSM, GPS, and a UI. It will be shipping soon to developers and aims to be on sale in a retail products in October of this year. US$350 gets you an unlocked GSM phone.

The OpenMoko FIC Neo1973 is the world’s first Linux-based open source mobile phone, it’s open source so it’s easily upgradable with new firmware.

The Neo1973 features a 2.8-inch (480×640) touchscreen display, Samsung s3c2410 SoC, a Global Locate AGPS chip, 128MB SDRAM, 64MB NAND Flash memory, and a microSD card slot.

Comparison between iPhone and the Neophone: The Neo slightly longer and wider but is 7mm thicker, weight wise 135g iPhone but 184g Neo. Wireless phone carrier locked at Apple but not on Neophone and although there is no camera in the Neo, iphone uses a non replaceable battery but neo uses replaceable batteries. More detailed comparison here.

The iPhone launched june 28 Neophone launches October 2007

Tuesday 10 July 2007

Crisis Looms for Bolivia as Glaciers Disappear


Who says Global Warming Isn't Real, well here are more casualties of Climate Change. The glaciers in the Andes mountains of Bolivia provide about half the drinking water for two million people down the mountain. But the glaciers are now melting at an unprecedented rate and will be completely gone within 20 years.

Video

TiddlyWiki: Helps Tidy Up Your Loose Notes

- a reusable non-linear personal web notebook

TiddlyWiki is a wiki-modeled client-side single page application written by Jeremy Ruston that is designed to be used as a personal notebook. It is a single self-contained HTML file that includes CSS and JavaScript code. When the user downloads it to their PC, TiddlyWiki can save the entered information by overwriting itself on the user's disk, at the user's request. Following TiddlyWiki conventions, users can make a new entry, called a Tiddler, in their local copy of the TiddlyWiki file and save it for future reference. Existing Tiddlers can also be modified or deleted in the same way.

Works on all computer platforms in all Browsers.

Michael Moore's Sicko Trailer


Recently released in the US Sicko highlights the plight of American political corruption, contradiction and political fraud with the American Health Care Institution and Societal Welfare System. Sticking to his tried-and-true one man approach, Moore sheds light on the complicated medical affairs of individuals and local communities.



After you click the link to the trailer you may notice something unusual about the player interface, the video is automatically loading which means you can wait as I do (since I have a relatively slow broadband connection) and therefore click the play button after its completely downloaded. Many of these types of player interfaces load the video after you click the play button and therefore one tends to receive a nasty staccato playback.

Monday 9 July 2007

Hyperion: A Sponge Textured Moon


The newly imaged craters on the unusually coarse surface might be the result of impacts, but for some reason have dark centers. The low density of Hyperion indicates it might even be a spelunker's paradise, riddled with tremendous caverns.

This Astronomer works as a geomorphologist and studies the terrain formations of planets and moons and tries to figure out how they got that way. Further to this Hyperion's cup like craters seem to be have Hydrocarbons within and because it has such wobbly rotation .... speculation mounts that it could be a captured asteroid or a remnant planet ?

Inversion: Tunnel House Art Installation


Created by Houston sculptors Dan Havel, Dean Ruck and Kate Petley in April 2005 is another Fine Art example of how a building that's about to be demolished is turned into an Art Installation. The Tunnel House (or like the The former Yates Wine Lodge building, opposite Moorfields station posted here earlier). Although this website is in Italian most of the comments are in English where there many more links.

2-USB-Ports Multi-Solar Charger

The Multi-Solar Charger can charge TWO devices at the same time!

It can recharge most known mobile phone types and USB interfacing digital products. This solar charger can be recharged through direct sunlight, AC power or car power. It is convenient for you to take along with when you are out on business, on travel, on a long journey on bus or ship, etc. It is a portable, environmentally-friendly, lightweight, durable and versatile solar charging product.Just plug your USB-powered devices, such as your iPod or cell phone to repower them. .

Saturday 7 July 2007

Octosquid: New Deep Sea Creature Discovery ?

What appears to be a half-squid, half-octopus specimen found off Keahole Point, Hawaii remains unidentified today and could possibly be a new species, said local biologists.The specimen was found caught in a filter in one of Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority's deep-sea water pipelines last week. The pipeline, which runs 3,000 feet deep, sucks up cold, deep-sea water for the tenants of the natural energy lab. Another related species identified by the same scientists But this is not "half squid, half octopus". This is a squid with eight arms that is no more related to octopuses than any other sort of squid. Squids and octopuses are far too far apart to breed.
But maybe its a Vampire squid


Friday 6 July 2007

Jaw Dropping Shock - iPhone Shoppimg Bag


An iPhone shopping bag just sold on ebay for US $305.
gizmodo

What was the last time anyone has experienced this type of WTF Mania ?


nevertheless

worthy analysis (video) of the
inner components of the iphone from Semiconducter as they take it apart.


Thursday 5 July 2007

Can Card Reader plus USB Hub




The Can Card Reader plus USB Hub pretty much sums it up - it will read 5 different memory cards (SD, XD, MS, Mini SD,T-flash/Micro SD). Since it is more blessed to give than receive, this peripheral takes up one USB port on your computer but gives back three more. It measures 59mm x 50mm x49mm and weighs 60 grams. The Can Card Reader + USB Hub from Brando retails for US $17 each.

Fujitsu Releases 300GB 3.5-inch Hard Drive


Fujitsu unveiled its latest portable hard drive a 2.5" disk drive offering up to 300GB of storage. Ideal for travel, this new drive in a compact design, with its own integrated USB 2.0 cable. It drives power from your laptop or desktop's USB port, so there's no need for an additional adapter.

Key specifications of the 2.5” PMR hard disk drives include best-in-class read/write power consumption at 1.6W, whisper-quiet operation, and high shock tolerance. With these benefits, the new Fujitsu mobile series is well-suited for the audio/video computing market, particularly gaming, video editing, audio recording and DVR functionality.The 4200 rpm, 300GB portable drive is available for US $229. A lower capacity 120GB/5400rpm drive will be available for US $129 in October 2007

Magnetic Field Alters Colour of Liquid

University of California, Riverside nanotechnologists have succeeded in controlling the color of very small particles of iron oxide suspended in water simply by applying an external magnetic field to the solution. The discovery has potential to greatly improve the quality and size of electronic display screens and to enable the manufacture of products such as erasable and rewritable electronic paper and ink that can change color eletromagnetically.

What should make this invention commercially attractive is that iron oxide is cheap, non-toxic and very available.

Magician Performs Some Tricks On iPhone






Marco does some interesting tricks with his iPhone

Wednesday 4 July 2007

An Evocative Edge of Victoria Crater


Opportunity Rover discovers after 3 years of searching an entrance into the Martian Victoria Crater. The Scientists working on the project has given the rover the all clear to move down into the floor of the crater.

Image from Astronomy picture of the Day

Tuesday 3 July 2007

So we finally pashed off Pasha Bulker






The Japanese vessel Pasha Bulker was towed out into deeper waters by tug boats during high tide on Monday night after days of work by salvage teams.

Cute Kitty TX 1

This Cute Kitty video has been shot with the Canon Powershot TX1, and it illustrates the use of the 10X zoom feature. It can capture HD NTSC/PAL in 1280 x 720 movies at 30fps with Stereo Sound and/or 7.1 Megapixel Still Images. The vertical design incorporates Optical Image StabilizerTechnology,DIGIC 111 Image Processor, Face Detection Technology, Red Eye Correction, and the swivel LCD screen has a tough new scratch resistant, anti-reflective coating on it. Another striking feature is the ability to swap in/out 4 different types of memory storage (SD,SDHC, Multimedia card and/or MMC Plus Card) in just about any size. All of this in a device no bigger then a deck of cards and for $500 US. Here is a reasonably good movie review of the TX1.

Sunday 1 July 2007

Absolute Hydro











Happy Birthday Duncan Rawlinson
from: The Last Minute Blog

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