Hasta La Gadget!

While Google’s Field Trip app may find attractions off the beaten path, it’s been up to users to foot the bill for their excursions. Now, however, the Niantic Labs-made application is handing out freebies for an unspecified limited time, allowing those who wield it to waltz into 13 museums for free. Folks near the establishments will receive Free Entry cards in the “nearby” tab, which will let them pass turnstiles without forking over a dime. Although Field Trip has been beefed up with points of interest in over 80 countries, the participating institutions — which range from The Field Museum to the Walt Disney Family Museum — are all located in six US cities. Head past the break for the full list.

Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google

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Source: Field Trip (Google+)

Russia has its share of concrete monstrosities and majestic spires, but the new Moscow Polytechnic Museum and Educational Centre in Moscow manages to be neither. Instead, it’s like a big, beautiful, sculpted iceberg, with a parking lot. More »

BIB is a line-following robot that just took a job at the Technical Museum in Malmo, Sweden. She leads guests around the exhibits, talking about each one, and she stares at them malevolently with her single LCD eye. Voiced by Swedish comedienne Anna Blomberg, BIB can keep herself from hitting other patrons and will ask for help if she falls over or falls off her line.

Built by Johan Strömbom and Isak Nordell, the robot will begin its career by taking visitors around the “Cars Of The Future” exhibit at the museum. She apparently “speaks with the local accent which makes he resemble an old, working-class lady from Malmo” and is about as tall as a child she she’s not overtly scary, all things to think about when you have publicly facing robots doing your tours.

Little robots like BIB will become more prevalent as time goes on, especially in science museums. Volunteers (and employees) are valuable and to replace the fairly tedious job of dragging families through an exhibit could benefit museums – who can move resources to other areas – and to visitors who can gather around one robot rather than use those (arguably kind of gross) audio guides they give out now. Win-win, and these guys will never fall asleep on the job unless they drain their battery.

Space Shuttles Discovery and Enterprise have already settled into their new homes, and now Endeavour is scheduled to depart for its future abode at the California Science Center on September 17th. Taking to the skies atop a modified Boeing 747, the shuttle will make pit stops in Texas and at Edwards Air Force Base in the Golden State before touching down at Los Angeles International Airport on the 20th. During the journey out west, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft will buzz certain cities and NASA sites along its flight path at roughly 1,500 feet in altitude. After its voyage, Endeavor will head to the science center on October 13th, but won’t be on display until the end of the month. Yearning to catch a glimpse of the historic vehicle before it reaches its final resting place? Head past the jump for its flight schedule and flyover details.

Continue reading Space Shuttle Endeavour hitching a ride atop a 747 to its new home on September 17

Filed under: Transportation, Science

Space Shuttle Endeavour hitching a ride atop a 747 to its new home on September 17 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 01:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Story isn’t content to leave window shoppers guessing at whether or not they can afford that dress or buy it in mauve. A new project at the creative studio uses the combination of a Kinect for Windows sensor with a Planar LookThru transparent LCD enclosure to provide an augmented reality overlay for whatever passers-by see inside the box. The Microsoft peripheral’s face detection keeps the perspective accurate and (hopefully) entrances would-be customers. Coming from an outlet that specializes in bringing this sort of work to corporate clients, the potential for retail use is more than a little obvious, but not exclusive: the creators imagine it also applying to art galleries, museums and anywhere else that some context would come in handy. If it becomes a practical reality, we’re looking forward to Second Story’s project dissuading us from the occasional impulse luxury purchase.

Continue reading Second Story uses Kinect for augmented shopping, tells us how much that doggie is in the window (video)

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

Second Story uses Kinect for augmented shopping, tells us how much that doggie is in the window (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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