Hasta La Gadget!

Researchers have been poring over data captured by the NASA Messenger probe as it conducted its study of Mercury. Amongst the data the probe discovered about the incredibly hot and small planet, were some tidbits about the composition of the surface of Mercury that left scientists curious. While studying the data, the scientists discovered that Mercury is comprised of two considerably different types of rock.

This discovery led MIT scientists to create an experiment in the lab to help identify a geological process that could have resulted in these two vastly different types of rock. The experiment subjected the rock types to different temperatures and pressures in an effort to simulate the processes that could have occurred on the surface of Mercury. The results of that experiment have led the scientists to believe that Mercury may have once had a massive ocean of piping hot magma on its surface that would have made Dr. Evil proud.

The scientists believe that the magma ocean existed sometime within the first 10 million years of Mercury’s existence, near the beginning of the formation of our solar system. The scientists estimate that the magma ocean would’ve existed over 4 billion years ago. Ancient Mercury sounds a lot like Mustafar, the planet where Anakin burst into flames on his path to becoming Darth Vader.

[via Forbes]

How many times have you lifted that little cardboard cup to your mouth, only to recoil in pain once the hot coffee touches your lips and scalds your tongue? If it’s a number higher than one, then I’d say that’s one time too many.

Designers Yang Dongyun, Wu Yichen, Sang Xinxin, Gu Zhiyu, and Lin Xia must agree, since they designed the Nohot interactive cup to put an end to coffee burns once and for all.

It looks just like a regular coffee-to-go cup, except that it’s got a lid that’s made from heat-sensitive materials. When the drink is still too hot to drink, a circular lump in the middle of the lip expands, so that the person can’t drink the coffee without bumping his or her nose that lump on the lid.

As the coffee reaches a safe drinking temperature, the lump on the cover slowly flattens, so that it’ll look like the regular lids that you see so often on your own daily cup of coffee.

Pretty nifty, isn’t it?

The Nohot cup is a red dot award: design concept winner.

[via Yanko Design]

Want to be part of the very possible future? Google has just announced that they will be giving U.S. residents the chance to be the first to own a Google Glass, the company’s much-hyped wearable computer. But don’t belt out God Bless America just yet. You have to prove to Google that you really want to own their computer.

Aside from being a resident of the United States, in order to be eligible to pre-order (yes, you’re going to pay) the headset you have to be at least 18-years-old, and finally you have to answer a simple question: “What would you do if you had Glass?” You must answer the question in 50 words or less and send your answer to Google via a Google+ or Twitter account with the hashtag #ifihadglass. Google will then choose 8,000 applicants to become “Glass Explorers.” If you’re one of those people, you’ll still have to fork over $1,500 (USD) to finally get a Glass. So what do you get in exchange for all that trouble? Watch Google’s new video to find out:

Head to the Google Glass website for the full instructions of the contest. Be sure to read the FAQ and Terms as well so you don’t screw up your application. If any other company required you to join a contest for a chance to give them $1500 of your money, that company would have been laughed out of business. But this is Google we’re talking about, and the Glass looks like no mere product.

[Google via Acquire]

So you like to grill when the weather is nice, but you hate cleaning all of that grime off of your grill. It’s tough. The grease and dirt always sticks to the grate and it can be a real pain to scrub off. Like many things in life, you need a robot to help. That’s where Grillbots will come in handy.

They are basically Roombas for your grill. They scrub off dirt, oil and grime with brushes on their underside as they move and they can do the job whether the grill is hot or cold. They work on gas or charcoal grills and are powered by a rechargeable battery. They have a small LCD to program them for either a light or deep clean.

Other features include an LCD alarm, timer and replaceable brushes. Ethan Woods, the inventor of the Grillbot, spent a few years developing these bots after cleaning his grill using a wire brush attached to a power drill. His system worked great, but a grill-cleaning robot is even better.

Grillbot will come in four colors to start. They will be available this June for $69.95(USD) for the base model. A premium version, with extras, will sell for $99.95(USD).

[via Gizmag via Geeky-Gadgets]

As you all know, last Friday a massive meteor entered the atmosphere over the Chelyabinsk Region of Russia. The meteor was large enough that scientists believe significant chunks reached the surface of the Earth. The meteor also caused quite a fireball in the sky and several explosions that shattered glass and injured over 1000 citizens in the area.

Russian citizens in the area are now trying to make a little bit of money by selling fragments that they claim to be from the meteorite online. However, Russian police are having none of that and have stepped in and begun to confiscate supposed meteorite fragments listed online. Russian police officials say that they confiscated about 60g of a substance claimed to be meteorite fragments from a Chelyabinsk resident.

Russian police say that they will send the material to be analyzed to determine its composition and determine if it poses any health risks. Officials are asking people not to buy the meteorite fragments because they are being sold without permits or certification. Fragments have turned up online selling for 10,000 to 500,000 rubles (~$330 to $16,600 USD.)

[via Ria.ru]