Hasta La Gadget!

The touchscreen and app combo of today’s mobile devices makes one gadget act as many. Different apps display different interfaces, and the touchscreen lets you interact with those interfaces in a natural manner. But what if, aside from changing what you can see, your gadget’s display could also change its shape? That’s what MIT’s Tangible Media Group wants to realize.

What you’re looking at is Tangible Media Group’s inFORM. It’s made of a Kinect, a projector, a computer, pins, linkages and actuators. inFORM can mimic the shape and motion of 3D objects in real time. For example, a monitor can show a two-dimensional replica of your arm, but with inFORM you can have a tangible, 3D replica of your arm. And since it’s 3D you can use that replica arm to carry or move objects just by moving your own arms.

Equally important is inFORM’s ability to act as a collection of 3D pixels, a way of giving physical manifestation to digital information. For instance, it can make actual 3D charts, give you a tangible version of a 3D model in an instant and present even more intuitive user interfaces.

inFORM is a step towards the Tangible Media Group’s dream that it calls Radical Atoms, a “hypothetical generation of materials that can change form and appearance dynamically, becoming as reconfigurable as pixels on a screen… so that dynamic changes of physical form can be reflected in digital states in real time, and vice versa.”

Imagine watching horror films on a Radical Atom TV.  Imagine “holding” your loved ones as you chat with them on Radical Atom walls and floors. Imagine controlling a giant mech made of Radical Atoms. Imagine visualizing mind-boggling equations and predictions on a Radical Atom spreadsheet. Imagine having a physical keyboard or game buttons on your Radical Atom mobile device. Aww yiss.

[MIT Tangible Media Group via Colossal]

A new company called VRcade aims to revive the idea of a gaming arcade with the help of virtual reality. Whereas VR headsets like the Oculus Rift need to be wired to a computer to work, VRcade’s headset has a wireless transmitter. Why? Because VRcade isn’t just a headset, it’s an entire room. Or even an entire floor. When you move in the real world, you move in VRcade’s virtual world.

Aside from its wireless headset, VRcade uses motion capture cameras and a modular motion capture suit. In addition to the suit, there are also markers on the headset and whatever prop you have – like the gun in the image above – that the cameras can use to track your movement. In other words, while other VR headsets can track only your head, VRcade tracks you.

VRcade has several advantages over what VRcade CEO and co-founder Jamie Kelly calls “virtual sit down gaming.” VRcade’s games will encourage player movement: walk, run, sneak or jump in the real world and you do the exact same thing in the virtual world. As far as controls go, it doesn’t get more intuitive than that. For instance, VRcade claims that the tester in the video below has no experience with first person shooters, but she still figures out how to navigate in the virtual world:

The correspondence between movement and virtual output also reduces the risk of motion sickness, unlike when you’re experiencing VR while confined to one spot. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is that extra layer of immersion that users will get from being able to physically feel their movement. Here’s Kelly explaining the basics of VRcade:

VRcade seems really promising: the second coming of the arcade shop, but more inclusive and possibly even healthier. In addition, VRcade can also adapt their system for non-gaming purposes, such as giving virtual tours of structures that have yet to be built.

But of course nothing is perfect. As Ars Technica notes, VRcade has a chicken-or-egg situation when it comes to attracting game developers. Obviously the company needs developers to make games for its system, but because a VRcade game has to be tailored to a particular space, they need to already have that space rented or bought. But how will they know the dimensions of the space a game needs if the game doesn’t exist yet? Hopefully VRcade can figure that out.

[VRcade via Ars Technica]

LEGO enthusiast Dirk aka dm_meister built pumpkin-sized versions of the mushroom power-ups from the Mario games. There’s the red Super Mushroom, the blue Mini Mushroom and the green 1-up Mushroom. Each model is made of almost 3,000 bricks and weighs 10lb. And they have eyes… holy crap I just realized Mario eats living creatures.

Here’s a closer look at the mushrooms:

Here’s a time-lapse video of Dirk making the Super Mushroom:

Dirk said he’ll upload a more helpful video with CGI building instructions. Keep an eye on his YouTube channel for that one. Meanwhile, you can check out more of his MOCs on his Flickr page.

[via it8bit]

Garrison Bespoke is a luxury suit tailor in Toronto, but its latest product might as well come from the research labs of a secret intelligence agency in the UK. It’s a three-piece suit that’s strong enough to withstand attacks from a hunting knife and even 9mm bullets fired at close range, thanks to several layers of carbon nanotubes hidden inside the vest and suit jacket.

According to The Globe and Mail, Garrison Bespoke co-founder Michael Nguyen started development of the stylish life-saving device when one of their clients was assassinated. But because they are suit makers – and because bulletproof vests already exist – Garrison Bespoke ensures that its clients will enjoy protection without sacrificing style or comfort.

The company outlined its goals in developing the suit as follows: “First, to be modern and stylish. Second, to be light and comfortable. And, third, to be reliable and safe.” The video below is from CityNews’ report on the custom suit:

So how much will this ballin’ bullet-stopper cost you? The Globe and Mail says that a custom three-piece suit will set you back at least $20,000. I’m not sure if that’s in Canadian or US Dollars, but there’s not much of a difference between their values anyway. Garrison Bespoke also has a bulletproof polo shirt for $800, for casual yet life-threatening Fridays.

[via Garrison Bespoke, The Globe and Mail & CityNews via Laughing Squid]

Fast food pizza is the lazy man’s favorite meal, next to the Anything Edible Within Arm’s Reach value meal. I loooove that one. But ordering pizza is still quite the hurdle for the indolent. Thankfully iStrategyLabs is here to solve that problem with the PiePal, a device that orders pizza in just a few seconds.

Before you sloths utter an unintelligible moan that can only mean that you’re beside yourself with joy, there are a few caveats with the PiePal. First of all, it can only order one type of pizza and only from Dominos. Second, you have to have a user account on Domino’s online delivery website. That’s because the PiePal is actually a Raspberry Pi that’s running an automated pizza ordering software. You’ll need to enter your Wi-Fi network’s name and password, Domino’s account details and the specific pizza you want into the program. You can do it; it’ll let you be lazy in the long run.

Also, I lied about the one button thing. You actually have to turn a dial before you can press the button to order. I know, it’s hard, but the dial lets you select the number of pizzas you want to order. Then press the big button on the PiePal to place your order.

If you’re interested in owning a PiePal, get off your butt for a second and sign up on the PiePal website to become a “beta taster.” Mmmm, beta.

[via iStrategyLabs via CNET]