Your Portal gun isn’t as cool as Hack-a-Day’s Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube)
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There you were, thinking your NECA-produced Portal gun replica was super neat all on its own. Well, okay — it is — but wouldn’t it be even cooler if you could use it to make a baby companion cube levitate in mid-air with it? That question is exactly what lead to Hack a Day’s creation of just such a device, as seen in the video below the break. By reappropriating a magnetic floating globe’s parts and attaching said parts to both the gun and a homemade companion cube, Hack a Day were able to recreate at least part of the magic Chell experiences in her Aperture Science adventures. Of course, if you move the gun too much, the companion cube will fall out. Just think what that does to its psyche! You monster.
[Image credit: Caleb Kraft, Hack a Day]
Your Portal gun isn’t as cool as Hack-a-Day’s Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 02:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
If you so happen to be a proud owner of the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300, then here is a wee bit of good news for you. This particular tablet has just received the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, and we are referring to the LTE-enabled version. After all, it was a couple of months ago in August when ASUS introduced the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the non-LTE version of the Transformer Pad 300, so better late than never with the TF300, right? Performing the update is a snap, all you need to do is to download the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TL firmware (version 10.4.3.6) followed by flashing your tablet with the latest ROM. Once done, you are able to sit back and enjoy the increased speed which accompanies the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update.
If you ever wondered how come Amazon’s Kindle e-reader seemed to be amazingly affordable, the cat is out of the bag from the horse’s mouth. Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has confirmed that their Kindle e-reader is virtually sold “at cost”, where the online retail giant makes money from the Kindle range through the sales of online content. Now, this is more or less an open secret to many for a long time now, considering how Amazon does not have the kind of marketing and clout that Apple has to make money off hardware as well as software.
Have you played the game Scribblenauts? I am quite sure that those who have given it a go would have most likely fallen in love with the title. Well, if you have a penchant for drawing stuff using a pencil, then this particular pencil from MIT is a little bit extra special. Chemists from MIT have managed to use a pencil where its graphite “lead” has been replaced by a special material that is known as carbon nanotubes. Basically, lines of carbon nanotubes are drawn on specially treated paper, and whenever an electrical current is fired through the paper, the change in resistance will be a sign that depicts the bonding of gas molecules to the nanotubes. So far, MIT’s test sensor has managed to detect small traces of ammonia gas successfully, and eventually, the whole idea of this exercise is to develop it in a way for it to function with just about any kind of gas. A smart pencil, if you will.
“There’s an app for that,” or so the saying goes, and when we talk about apps, first and foremost it would be the iPhone that comes to mind as that was the handset which more or less kickstarted the whole app store shebang. Well, researchers over in Atlanta are working on an app which when used in conjunction with your smartphone (one that has a flash built-in for the camera, of course), it will be able to transform your device into an ear scope.
What you see above is something special, where it is known as the Bye Bye Laundry hanger that carry specialized charcoal within the capsule. This specialized charcoal has just one main purpose for its existence, that is, to air out clothes which might need a freshen-up instead of a full wash. Not only does this help you save time as there is no need to do any laundry, it is even better for the environment since you will get to save on water, power and soap. The Bye Bye Laundry loop-shaped hanger will boast of a filtered glass chamber located at the top, where the special charcoal pellets within have been processed with oxygen, allowing it to function as an extremely powerful and effective odor eliminator for any clothes resting on it.
