A team of Chinese scientists did an impossible-sounding thing. They created electricity simply by dragging a droplet of saltwater across a layer of graphene. No big fires, no greenhouse gases, no fuss. They created energy with just a miracle material and one of the most plentiful substances on Earth.
A few years ago Ben Heck made a breath-operated controller to substitute for the kick drum pedal of the Guitar Hero drum set, allowing a wheelchair-bound player to rock out. This time, the master modder made his own USB-based pedals to give him added control options when playing video games on the PC.
Ben’s pedals are run by a Teensy board. His computer will recognize them as a keyboard, making it easy to map commands in games. Ben made it so he can map up to two commands per pedal: the first command is activated with a slight press and the second command is triggered by pressing harder on the pedal.
Watch Ben build them the video below. Skip to around 15:25 to see the finished pedals.
(Video courtesy of Element14 and Newark)
Don’t have Ben’s hands to help your feet? Don’t worry. There are commercially available PC foot pedals like the Stinkyboard, the Fragpedal and the Alto Edge Infinity.
[via The Ben Heck Show via Ubergizmo]
Being an amputee is definitely no fun at all, where they suffer from phantom pains as well as having to go through the discomfort of rubbing the amputated section against artificial limbs, resulting in dangerous sores in some cases. Researchers have come together to work on a new kind of pressure sensor that has been called a “second skin”, where it is hoped that it will be able to prevent dangerous sores.
This research work done by Southampton University will target other groups who might be at risk, including wheelchair-bound users and those who remain confined to bed, should it eventually end up as successful. Should all things go according to clockwork, then this new technology could see action among NHS (National Health Service) patients in a matter of three years.
While using pressure sensors are not new, this Medical Research Council-backed project is different from all current models or implementations since it is capable of detecting rubbing in addition to downward pressure, making it handy to detect sores at an earlier stage. The sensor itself is thin and flexible, being roughly the size of a postage stamp, and will be taped to a liner which in turn is placed in the socket that connects the stump and the artificial limb.
Pressure Sensors Could Help Ease Amputees’ Pain , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Medical, science,
Going out to the great outdoors and roughing it is not everyone’s cup of tea, and I do admit that more and more people would prefer to spend their holidays or free time at cities and theme parks rather than the peaceful environment outdoors. Others prefer to remain glued to the TV during the entire summer holidays, whether it is watching movies or playing with video games. When was the last time you actually saw the different constellations light up the night sky? Perhaps you and your kids can come to a compromise when camping with the £249.99 Bang Bang solar powered tent.
The Bang Bang is touted to be the first solar powered tent in the world, where it will be able to harvest the power of the sun’s rays throughout the day, storing up precious energy in its battery so that it can be used to charge up various devices even when the nearest building with a power outlet is a good hundred miles away. Made out of lightweight and highly durable materials, the Bang Bang solar powered tent would arrive in two striking printed patterns – “Fool on the Hill” or “Woodstock”. Each tent is large enough to sleep four people comfortably, so let its built-in 5W solar panel do the hard work of juicing your smatphone, laptop, digital camera battery and speakers among others.
[ Bang Bang solar powered tent offers civilized comforts in the outback copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Amazon’s smartphone leaks are starting to pile up quickly, and today our own report about some of its 3D features and Android-based FireOS operating system was followed quickly by an extensive report about the phone’s supposed specs, complete with pics of the gadget housed in a case designed to keep its final look a secret. The pics and specs come from BGR, which reports that Amazon is… Read More
Most folks would know by now that Google Glass will be sold to the masses today, as long as stocks last and you having at least $1,500 in loose change somewhere. This is a precious 24 hour window period that should see the total number of Google Glass owners increase exponentially, and we are also especially pleased to hear that the tech giant too, has announced that Google Glass will be on the receiving end of the Android 4.4 KitKat update sometime later this week.
Just what will Android 4.4 KitKat bring to Google Glass? Well, it will introduce a bunch of new features, and at the same time, remove an important existing feature. Android 4.4 KitKat will enable Google Glass to enjoy a longer battery life as well as faster performance, with developers given the ability to write Glassware (also known as apps) thanks to the most recent SDK and APIs.
Photo Bundles would be another new feature that one ought to take notice of – this wearable headset will be able to group your photos, videos and vignettes in bundles, making life for you easier and quicker if you happen to scroll through them. The other features will include the sorting of voice commands by frequency, alongside an option to reply with pictures in Hangouts conversations, among others.
Do bear in mind that after the Android 4.4 KitKat update, Glass will lose its ability to carry out video calls. Bummer! [Press Release]
Google Glass Android 4.4 KitKat Update Arriving This Week , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Gadgets, glass, Google, kitkat,
The art of automotive zen begins with a clean and orderly interior (for most drivers) and this week’s giveaway is sure to help provide a more cable-free ride. The case, cradle and charger folks at iOttie have done us a solid by offering two Engadget…
Rumors of an Amazon-made phone are nothing new, but today the rumors enter reality more firmly: what you see above is what BGR claims is the Amazon’s first phone. “Whoa, that’s super ugly!” you might be saying. Cool it, that’s just an enclosure…
Most of us use our smartphones these days to capture plenty of images on the move, as carrying around a DSLR is just not as convenient. There is also the option of a Micro Four Thirds camera or other system cameras too, but those too, require you to tote around another device which might end up as inconvenient. Thankfully, the smartphones of today do come with far better photo-taking ability than before, and are ideal for most ordinary shots. For those who love snapping photos with their smartphones, you will be pleased that Google wants to help save your time by letting you insert your Auto Backup photos from your smartphone into Gmail messages on the web, thanks to the new Insert Photo button.
Whenever you click on the button, you will be able to access all of the photos in an instant, where they have been backed up from your mobile devices, beginning with the most recent content. Should you opt to upload and organize your photos into albums on Google Photos, you will also be able to share the whole album without any worries. Apart from that, you are also able to resize images as you compose messages simply by dragging on any corner to ensure that your snapshot is picture perfect.
Have you already made use of these new features in Gmail on the web? It is supposed to have rolled out today, and if you have not given it a go, do remember to turn on Auto Backup, where you can then include photos easily from your latest adventures in emails to family and friends. [Press Release]
Gmail Gets New Insert Photo Button , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Computers, gmail, Google,
There’s been no shortage of Google Glass parodies and straight-up copies since Google released their heads-up display in 2012. While Google’s design has stuck to its guns since the developer … Continue reading
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