We were promised robots. The future, science fiction told us, would be a world swarming with automatons that did all the jobs we didn’t want. But you know what? Robots are really expensive and hard to build. Two MIT scientists want to change all that with inkjet printers and techniques borrowed from origami.
High quality microscopes cost thousands of dollars and can be hard to operate and maintain. A group of researchers from Stanford University are close to changing that with a microscope that’s made mostly out of paper and costs less than a dollar to make.
The Foldscope was conceptualized by Jim Cybulski, James Clements and Asst. Prof. Manu Prakash. They were moved to develop the revolutionary microscope because they wanted to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases in developing countries. In his recent TED presentation, Asst. Prof. Prakash said that right now it can take months for patients in developing countries to get diagnosed and treated partly because microscopes are bulky, hard to maintain and expensive to acquire . So they set out to design a microscope that’s portable, easy to operate and can be mass produced at low costs. It looks like they succeeded.
In their paper, Jim, James and Asst. Prof. Prakash. said that the Foldscope can provide a magnification of up to 2,000X depending on the lens used. All of its components can be packed on a single sheet of card stock, which can also serve as an instruction manual. Foldscope is also resistant to impact and water. It’s so small that you can carry multiple Foldscopes in your pocket. The only part of the microscope that needs electricity is an LED, which can last over 50 hours on a button cell battery. Best of all, it only costs between $0.58 to $0.97 to make. Below is Asst. Prof. Prakash’ TED presentation about the Foldscope:
How amazing is that? A copy of Jim, James and Asst. Prof. Prakash’s paper is available from the Cornell University Library archive. If you want to get your hands on one, head to the Foldscope team’s website and apply to become one of the their 10,000 beta testers.
Perfect for scooping things out of rectangular containers with flat walls, but not so great with anything round, the real claim-to-fame of David Adler’s Kafolda spoon is that it arrives as a perfectly flat piece of stainless steel and some assembly required.
     |
We’ve all had that thought while playing with origami: "If this paper swan were bigger, I would live in it." Okay, so maybe not all of us have had that thought, but it certainly crossed the minds of the architects at Make, in London, who recently designed these crazy folding kiosks.
| |
Kids today demand more from their toys, since mobile devices have freed them from the burdens of imagination. So if you were thinking of introducing your kids to the DIY joys of origami, the wonders of seeing a paper boat actually float won’t be enough. You’ll also need this tiny outboard motor so it can cruise around your bathtub on its own.
| |
Visionary applied geometer Ron Resch, who passed away in 2012, is the subject of the incredible documentary embedded above, that, while by no means new (it was produced back in the grainy days of 1970) seemed worth posting here. Over the course of its more than 40 minutes of mind-altering geometry and material experimentation, we watch Resch unfold, stretch, expand, and play with a mind-boggling wizardry of handmade models that seem to be blink in and out of the ordinary world.
| |
It’s hard to say whether the 4moms Origami is a high-end stroller built with babies in mind or whether it’s more of a treat for the person pushing it. Its specs read more like those of a high-end car than …
| |
So, imagine you just shelled out $200 or $300 for one of those new Kindle Fire HDXs, only to have it scratch in your backpack as you pull it out to gloat to one of your friends. Oh, you poor, poor soul. If only you’d had the foresight to pick up an Origami cover. Like the new tablets, the case goes up for pre-order today — and will start shipping at the same time as their respective devices. Jeff Bezos was pretty keen to show the accessories off today, demonstrating how built-in magnets allow them to fold together in such a way that the tablets can be positioned in either landscape or portrait modes.
Neater still for the 8.9-inch version (the one with the rear-facing camera, mind), is a feature that triggers the photo app when the cover is slid down on the slate. Behold, magnetic magic that would leave the Insane Clown Posse pondering scientific inquiry for months to come. Amazon’s made cases for both HDX models and the new HD. The polyurethane versions of the 7- and 8.9-inch HDX cases run $50 and $55, respectively, with the leather versions coming in at $65 and $70. The covers for the HD run $45 and $60.
Philip Palermo contributed to this report.%Gallery-slideshow90902%
As much as we try to live a life free of paper, you’re going to come across a time in your life where you absolutely need a printer to fill out paperwork, print out customized greeting cards, or to print out incriminating evidence for later use. Printers are a dime a dozen these days, which is why if you’re going to purchase one, you might as well go for an eco-friendly printer. (more…)
Samsung Considering New Line Of Eco-Friendly Printers You Can Fold original content from Ubergizmo. 
| |
No one wants their parents on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media site they might be busy embarrassing themselves on. They surely don’t want to see pictures of you on the verge of consciousness every night and you certainly don’t want them posting embarrassing things in a public forum. Origami keeps things private, so everyone wins.
Lets you share photos, albums, videos, and text messages with other members of your designated family. In addition to being an app, you also get the domain of [yourfamilyname].origami.com, where you get all the functionality of the app versions. Both the mobile app and the website have the same, familiar timeline-style feed. It will even send you a daily newsletter (if you so choose) with all of your family’s latest happenings.
Not only are parents or grandparents joining social media sites often a point of contention, but there are some images, videos, and memories in general that you want to make sure stay within your family. And it doesn’t really feel like adding an extra burden onto your social media plate, because for the most part (especially if you’re the type of family that would use this app), you’re already sharing these things anyway. Origami just simplifies it. However, the service is $5 a month, and with all the free—even if less convenient—options out there, it’s probably not worth it for people who don’t regularly keep up with their family online. But if you’ve got a family that loves and/or needs to use the internet to stay connected, this is a wonderfully private, easy way to do it.
Origami, Download this app for: iOS, Android; $5/month (free for first 30 days)
The Best: Confidence that everything is only being seen by family
The Worst: Subscription-only
| |
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
