Hasta La Gadget!

Google presented the Glass’ funny younger brother at the 2013 SXSW multimedia festival. While the Glass was made to act like your butler, the aptly named Talking Shoe is meant to serve as your hype man. What? It’s not like everything Google does has to be useful. Remember Google Wave? Or the Nexus Q? The company has a sense of humor.

As is only appropriate for a talking shoe, its brains are mounted on its tongue. It has a pressure sensor, an accelerometer and a gyroscope to help it detect whether you’re stationary or moving about, and what kind of movement you’re doing. It also has a Bluetooth radio to help it connect to an Android phone or computer. Last, but not least it has a built-in speaker, which it does not hesitate to use. It can also broadcast its comments over the Web if you’re brave enough to allow it.

Google made the shoe in collaboration with interactive media specialists YesYesNo and the wearable tech enthusiasts of Studio 5050. Just in case you’re thinking that the video above isn’t for real, here’s a demo filmed by The Verge straight from SXSW:

Up next, Instagram’s Talking Fork.

[via Google via Inventor Spot & The Verge]

Secure your precious iPhone 5 in Strapya’s Bubble Wrap case. This is one of the few times that you’d rather own the imitation than the real thing, because the bubbles on the case will never burst. More protection for your phone and more popping for you.

Just look at how much fun this guy is having:

Well, that escalated quickly. You can go order the Bubble Wrap iPhone 5 Case from Amazon for about $19 (USD). I’ll be over here, rinsing out my eyeballs.

[via Inventor Spot]

A debate has raged among historians and archaeologists for decades over how the Vikings were able to navigate their ships. There have been some reports in ancient literature of a navigational aid used by Vikings called a “glowing sunstone.” However, no firm evidence of the existence of such a device has ever been discovered.

That has all changed now after an example of a Sunstone described as a “near-mythical” navigational aid was discovered in the remains of a shipwreck from 1592.

Viking Ship Image via ShutterStock

The shipwreck was first discovered about 30 years ago, and is believed to have been dispatched by Queen Elizabeth I – though it sank before reaching its destination near the island of Alderney.

The navigational aid is described as an oblong crystal used to find the sun on a cloudy day or in fog. Researchers have long believed that this device was used by Vikings to navigate their ships in fog or mist. They say that the crystal was discovered in the shipwreck alongside of navigational dividers. The researchers believe that the crystal could have been used as a backup to a magnetic compass.

The stone has now been confirmed as calcite, known as a Iceland Spar. The crystal discovered is discolored from being under the ocean for so many years, but researchers tested the crystal using one with similar properties. The researchers say using the crystal, they were able to locate the sun in poor light conditions and after sunset with accuracy.

[via Digital Journal]

EA has announced that it will be offering a downloadable co-op demo for its videogame Army of Two The Devil’s Cartel. The game demo will be available to download for Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers on March 12, 2013.

The demo will put players in the boots of private military contractors Alpha and Bravo. The contractors are on a mission to rescue a kidnapped politician from a dangerous Mexican drug cartel. Players will have to work together to survive and progress in the mission.

Players will also have a chance to split up at one point in the demo, with one player going off to fight face-to-face with the cartel soldiers and the other taking to the sky in a helicopter using a mini-gun to provide cover.

Army of Two The Devil’s Cartel is set to launch on March 26 for $59.99(USD). If you pre-order from Amazon, you’ll get a special bonus $20 promotional credit you can apply towards other purchases.

There seems to be a never-ending barrage of photo editing apps for the iPhone that will instantly transform your portraits into something else entirely different or entirely humorous.

CryFace happens to fall in the latter category.

With the push of a button (aptly labeled “Time to cry!”), your otherwise smiling or neutral-faced portrait is instantly transformed into one that shows you with a huge frown and with tears running down your face. Of course, you’re not limited to cryface-ing just your pictures.

Sharing the end image is a breeze, since the app allows users to share them via Twitter, Facebook, and email. The CryFace app is available for $0.99 (USD), and for an extra $0.99, you can unlock its text editing feature so you can make the image look like a meme.

[via Chip Chick]