Windows that can automatically adjust from transparent to opaque to keep out the sun can already be found in use all over, including Boeing’s new 787. But while they provide shade, the glass still absorbs and transmits heat to a room. So researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology have developed an easy-to-apply transparent film that can turn into a mirror to blocks and reflect light away. More »
You’re so beautiful. That is, at least according to Simple Human’s newest sensor mirror that automatically lights up when it sees your face. More »
Normally you might consider a smokestack to be something of an eye-sore, but this “Sky Stack” Is very much the opposite. With parts of it seemingly missing, the whole thing turns into an awesome fixture. More »
Mirrors can be for so much more than just gawking at your slack-jawed mug first thing in the morning. They can, for example, be used to give the illusion that towering designs made of light reach out past you, to an indeterminable vanishing point seemingly so distant as to be infinitely far. That second one is what Carsten Nicolai is into. More »
Experiemental and math rock can be a little tough to get into. The rhymthms are impressively complex and intricate, but a lot of times you just can’t groove to them. Enter “Atlas” by Battles. It’s groovetastic. More »
Having to take a dump in public is the subject of many people’s nightmares. And that nightmare is about to become a reality if you suddenly have the urge to go and the closest toilet you can find is Monica Bonvicini’s public toilet-slash-art installation called ‘Don’t Miss A Sec.’
That title’s certainly appropriate, since the toilet is located right on the sidewalk. And with its one-way mirrors, you can see whatever is happening or whoever happens to be walking by while you do your thing, while nobody outside can see in. At least I hope not.
Saw your girlfriend pass by while you’re inside? “Hey, I just saw you while I was…” Or maybe you witnessed a robbery while you were finishing up? “Yes, Officer, I was right inside when the whole thing happened. Look, I even capture the whole thing on my phone. Oh, sorry, you weren’t supposed to see that, I was just about to flush…”
You won’t miss a sec, all right, but I’m sure you’ll have the hardest time going when you’re in this bathroom.
[via Incredible Things]
Fisker has had more than its fair share of teething troubles with the Karma, but it has to be given credit for going out of its way to listen to early adopters. The hybrid car builder has confirmed to Autoblog that a question and answer session making the rounds is the official result of town hall discussions that have both acknowledged problems and promised fixes where they’re possible. The answers we’ve been given are a mix of sober realities and practical remedies. Drivers hoping for outright hardware upgrades to improve performance with existing Karmas will have to keep wishing; thankfully, a host of firmware fixes are on the way to improve at least the sedan’s Command Center system and mirrors. PR lead Roger Ormisher even hints that there could be an in-person council that would tackle concerns more directly than the remote pep talks. We’re mostly hoping for the day when Fisker stamps out the bugs and doesn’t need the Q&A to put Karma owners’ minds at ease.
Filed under: Transportation
Fisker confirms Q&A outlining Karma woes and fixes, may establish council to talk issues in person originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The hardest part of reading (besides the big, scary words) is finding a remotely comfortable way to sit, or lie, while doing it. These crazy prism glasses will add “lying on your back” to the list of options, but you’ll look stupid. More »
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