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These awesome glasses will totally disguise your identity, even to your mom

Urban Outfitters, purveyor of designer clothing and plastic tat to the masses, is now selling these rather fetching censorship shades. Called the “Embarrassing Photo Protective Sunglasses”, the sunnies prove that Urban Outfitters’ marketing department is as tone-deaf to quality a the buying department.

The shades feature a strip of plastic which is suspended before your eyes by the familiar nose and earpieces. To you, it is see-through. To an unwelcome paparazzo it appears as if your eyes have been censored from the photo.

The problem is that these black strips, however they are applied, do nothing to obscure your identity. Black out the eyes of a genuine superstar, like David Hasselhoff or Jean Claude Van Damme, and you would have no problem recognizing them.

The only people who would be disguised by such a gimmick are those who are already unknown. People like you, me and the entire cast of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!. Fortunately, they come at a price us plebs can afford. The Embarrassing Photo Protective Sunglasses will run you just $12.

Embarrassing Photo Protective Sunglasses [Urban Outfitters via PetaPixel]

See Also:

• Infra Red Shades Protect You From the Man

HP’s Link-5 technology lets you connect multiple HP input devices via a single USB dongle.

The manufacturer’s tiny wide-angle FH5 point-and-shoot gets a touch screen.

If you’re under the impression that robots were all over Google I/O this year, you’d be right — after all, it’s a only small leap from robot to Android. Yesterday we got some hands-on time with iRobot’s Ava mobile robotics platform and came away rather entertained. Ava is an autonomous robot that’s equipped with and array of sensors (two Kinect-like 2D / 3D cameras, a scanning laser, ultrasonic transducers, and contact bumpers), driven by omnidirectional wheels, and controlled by its own Intel Core-based computer. The base hosts batteries, motors, as well as electronics and supports a telescopic mast that carries a pod containing touch ribbons, speakers, and a microphone. On top of this pod you’ll find a “head” that can tilt / pivot and basically acts as the dock for any Android tablet. Ava is able to navigate a mapped-out space on its own while avoiding obstacles and people along the way — going as far as to “blush” via RGB LEDs in the base if it accidentally bumps into anything or anyone. This autonomous behavior allows the robot to be controlled by simply setting waypoints and letting the onboard computer do all the hard work of coordinating sensors and motors to get it there safely. Google and iRobot have worked together and created APIs that allow Android developers to write apps — from telepresence to roaming testimonials — that control Ava wirelessly from the docked tablet. Both partners are hoping this will spearhead the development of unique new projects which combine the power of robotics and Android devices. There’s no word on pricing or availability at this point, which comes as no surprise given that these machines are still very much prototypes. We’ll leave you to look at our gallery below and watch the robotic ballet in our hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading iRobot Ava mobile robotics platform hands-on at Google I/O (video)

iRobot Ava mobile robotics platform hands-on at Google I/O (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 09:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know where we’re going to be on June 7th: surfing across the sea of concrete better known as Los Angeles, looking at lots of games and wishing we’d packed more comfortable shoes. That’s E3 time and, while you very well may be at home living vicariously, thanks to Nintendo you’ll be able to get a bit of what’s happening out there right in your handheld over here — if you bought a 3DS. On June 7th Nintendo will release its long-promised update, which will finally bring the ability to download titles directly to the system through the eShop. The Japanese update will be launching a day earlier and is said to feature Virtual Console emulation as well as a 3D movie player, giving us hope that the promised Netflix support will be there for us. What else will we be hoping for at E3? Probably a foot massage. Any takers?

Update: Nintendo has now also officially announced that the update will hit Europe on June 7th, bringing with it eShop access and a web browser.

[Thanks, Jan]

Nintendo launching 3DS eShop on June 7, sharing some E3 love with everyone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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