Throwable iRobot 110 recon bot gets sensors, manipulator

The 110 FirstLook can carry third-party payloads to enhance functionality.

(Credit: iRobot)

Robots have become an indispensable part of the modern military arsenal, especially machines that can provide detailed reconnaissance of hazardous areas.

iRobot’s 110 FirstLook is essentially a Webcam on treads that’s light and sturdy enough to be tossed around, even through windows.

Now it can be equipped with tools such as a manipulator arm and sensors that can detect radiation and other threats.

The remote-controlled robot weighs about 5 pounds, and the optional arm can lift up to 3 pounds with its gripper and extend 12 inches, allowing it to interact with its environment.

Related stories

Infantry thermal monocular cameras can be quickly installed on the robot to help it move around and find people and vehicles at ni… [Read more]

Related Links:
Robot makers index fund launches on Nasdaq
This one-armed robot won’t cost an arm and a leg
Physicists inch toward atomic-scale MRI
Engineers write programming language to help build synthetic DNA
Can you outrun it? DARPA’s WildCat robot gallops at 16 mph

    



JBL’s Pulse speaker lets you program an LED light show for when your disco needs you

Remember when you first used iTunes and you’d turn on the visualizer, and just stare at the screen as the psychedelic patterns pulsed to the music? Yeah, well no one does that anymore. But since the dream of the ’90s is back (it is, right?), JBL’s letting music lovers install a bit of the dancefloor …

Vine just added two pretty crucial updates today: Sessions, which lets you save up to 10 Vines-in-pr

Vine just added two pretty crucial updates today: Sessions, which lets you save up to 10 Vines-in-progress, and Time Travel, which lets you edit or delete clips. [Vine blog]

Read more…


    



Samsung And LG Allegedly Caught In The Act Of Industrial Electricity Theft

Samsung And LG Allegedly Caught In The Act Of Industrial Electricity TheftIn South Korea, there are two different kinds of electricity pricing tiers. The more affordable one between the two is meant for industrial use only, and that would mean manufacturing, mining, and other production equipment and facilities (factories included). Apart from that, there is also the standard priced electricity, which is meant for offices, R&D centers, and general purpose buildings among others. Well, this is certainly cause for temptation, as some companies have been discovered to have used the cheap ‘industrial’ electricity for ‘normal’ usage. Surprisingly, both Samsung and LG have been seen on a list of companies in South Korea who have done just that.

This means that both Samsung and LG have been forking out money for the cheaper electricity tariff, instead of purchasing the more expensive electricity tier that they were supposed to. In fact, it has been classified as ‘stealing electricity’ in South Korea, and this has been happening since 2004 – which is a long, long time already. Needless to say, when your hand is caught in the cookie jar, it is time to pay your dues, and the law of restitution would be to pay twice the price difference, so that means burning a hole in their pockets. Ouch! Do you think that this is a harsh enough lesson?

  • Follow: General, , ,
  • Samsung And LG Allegedly Caught In The Act Of Industrial Electricity Theft original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    Wii Party U Launches This October 25th

    Wii Party U Launches This October 25thYou might not have been invited to any Halloween parties until now, but fret not – who needs friends who do not care about how you feel when you can spend your time in front of the TV in your living room with Wii Party U as the game launches on the Wii U platform later this October 25th? That is just tomorrow, and I am quite sure that with more than 80 mini games to play, multiple party modes as well as a special game play which truly showcases the creative power of the Wii U GamePad controller, it will be a fun time indeed between you and your best friend(s). Never mind about getting all the props for a party up and running, all you need is enough snacks and drinks to go around, comfortable beanie chairs and you are good to go.

    Wii Party U will offer a party for every kind of player, ranging from board games that are centered on the television to tabletop games which can be played exclusively on the GamePad, without the need for any TV at all – now how about that?

    There is TV Party Mode, House Party Mode and GamePad Party Mode to choose from. Not only that, Wii Party U will feature many other modes which allows players to select quick-play mini-game challenges, receive activity suggestions based on the current number of players and view archives that display records and Amazing Feats. The asking price for Wii Party U is $49.99 as it arrives bundled with a Wii Remote Plus controller and the GamePad horizontal stand.

  • Follow: Gaming, , wii party u, ,
  • Wii Party U Launches This October 25th original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    Vine Update Lets You Edit Videos and Save Them as Drafts

    Vine Update Lets You Edit Videos and Save Them as Drafts

    Vine rolled out an app update today with two new features designed to help users shoot better video. According to the company’s blog post, Vine added features it’s calling Sessions and Time Travel — which are tools to save posts …

        



    Amazon Set-Top Box Release Reportedly Delayed

    Amazon Set Top Box Release Reportedly Delayed

    Earlier this month we started hearing rumors once again that Amazon has a set-top box up its sleeve, one that may provide tough competition to the likes of Roku and Apple TV. Amazon itself hasn’t confirmed whether or not it is working on such a device, so there’s no official indication from the company regarding the release of its first ever set-top box. Though the release of this device has apparently been delayed, it is said to have been pushed beyond the coveted holiday season. Amazon was reportedly pushing to launch its set-top box around the holidays this year.

    The Amazon set-top box will reportedly run on an Android fork, the kind you’ll find on its Kindle Fire tablets. Though it is believed that Amazon might open up this device for third party applications. Apart from this, the set-top box is also likely to have access to Amazon’s collection of Prime videos. It has also been rumored that this device may launch with various movies, games and music streaming apps to provide a richer user experience. Amazon hasn’t officially confirmed the moniker, but it recently filed to trademark ‘Firetube’ in the U.S. and Canada. It is strongly believed to be the moniker that Amazon attaches with its set-top box. Reasons for this delay in its release are not entirely clear. There’s also no word as yet on the pricing, though if Amazon’s history of competitively pricing its products is taken into account, then this set-top box might just give its competitors a run for their money.

  • Follow: Gadgets, , Firetube,
  • Amazon Set-Top Box Release Reportedly Delayed original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    AMD Radeon R9 290X released for real, details and all

    Though the AMD Radeon R9 290X was teased last month, details have not been shared in full until this morning. Along with the release of these details comes confirmation in full of the power of the device, along with the fact that AMD aims for this graphics card to be their headline unit, top to […]

    Samsung ATIV S Neo Arrives On AT&T

    Samsung ATIV S Neo Arrives On AT&TAT&T might have announced that they will be offering the iPad Air, and here is something from the Windows Phone platform just in case you are interested – the Samsung ATIV S Neo. Powered by Windows Phone 8, the Samsung ATIV S Neo will cost $21 monthly with AT&T Next, or you can always opt for the more normal route of forking out $99.99 for the device as it comes with a two-year contract. The ATIV S Neo also happens to be AT&T’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphone from Samsung which will run on AT&T’s LTE network.

    Just to refresh our memories, the Samsung ATIV S Neo will feature a 4.77” HD display, an 8-megapixel shooter located at the back with an LED flash with Full HD video recording capability, a front-facing 1.9-megapixel camera, 16GB of internal memory, a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes, 5GB of free online cloud storage through AT&T Locker, a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, and ATIV Beam that allows you to transfer files between compatible phones without missing a beat.

    What do you think of this Windows Phone 8 device? Most of this market seems to be the domain of Nokia phones lately, so it is nice to see Samsung not put all of their eggs in a single basket.

  • Follow: CellPhones, , ativ s neo, ,
  • Samsung ATIV S Neo Arrives On AT&T original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    Captain America’s Back in the Badass First Winter Soldier Trailer

    Captain America’s first outing was a great summer popcorn flick, and we loved seeing the wholesome hero leading the attack in The Avengers. And now that Steve Rogers gets to team up with Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow once again, damned if we’re not incredibly excited to see at least one-third of the Avengers kicking ass in Washington DC in the Captain America sequel: The Winter Soldier when it’s released on April 4, 2014.

    Read more…