We’d all like to pretend that money doesn’t make the world go ’round, but this is a business blog, and the reality is that each and every one of these unique business concepts require capital for development and operations. With that said, would you believe me if I said that a new business is hoping to reinvent the wheel and release society’s dependency on cash? In fact, it is a concept that involves from a booming business that is all about money. With a little luck, the Retail Teller Machine (RTM) just might replace ATMs in the future.
Bitcoin is not the only virtual currency out there. Between Litecoin, Ripple, Zerocoin and so on, which will be the virtual currency of the future? Is Bitcoin able to stay the course, and gain its value back?
If you can solve a huge problem with the help of Verizon’s broadband networking, cloud storage, wireless capabilities or other technology in the fields of health care, education or sustainability, the communications giant will give you up to 1 million dollars to develop the idea.
Ever wanted to know what it’s like to be bug? To see what they see with those weird-looking eyes? Scientists and researchers at the University of Illinois are developing a unique digital camera that mimics what most bugs see, complete with a 160-degree field of view and “nearly-infinite” depth of field.
The camera is covered in tiny domes, which are covered in 180 microlenses, which each capture their own angle of the subject being shot. Essentially, the microlenses all work together to come up with one large collective image that’s high-resolution, sharp, and has a wide field of view.
The camera is obviously in its early stages, but scientists say that this technology could be used in surveillance cameras in order to capture a better picture that’s both sharp and can see everything in a large space. It would also be useful in endoscopic cameras, which are used by doctors to see inside the human body during surgical procedures.
Whereas traditional digital cameras have a flat sensor and a single camera lens, this bug-inspired camera has hundreds of lenses, which essentially bend and curve the elements found in a normal digital camera into a half-sphere in order to achieve a very wide field of view. It’s not said when the new cameras could hit the industry, but the researchers have already been working on the technology for several years now.
We just posted the world’s smallest stop-motion animation over on The Awesomer earlier today, and now it turns out that’s not the only animation IBM’s team of scientists have created. They also made a special one just for Trekkies.
The animated GIF you’re looking at above is actually made of individually manipulated atoms, arranged to form various iconic images from the Star Trek franchise.
In addition to the Star Trek logo, they created still images of the Vulcan salute, and a U.S.S. Enterprise in two sizes.
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The images were created by IBM’s Almaden research facility, in celebration of the impending release of Star Trek into Darkness, which opens on May 17th.
The most amazing image of all is this tiny Enterprise that measures just 1 nanometer in height:
While I’d imagine it would be pretty easy to lose such a small Federation starship, at least it’s not likely to be spotted by Khan or any Romulans – unless their ship is equipped with an electron microscope.
You can check out more amazing atomic images created by the team over on Flickr.
Right this minute, you’re most likely reading this article on a device that is connected to the Internet which is also most likely performing a number of other tasks such as checking your emails, receiving instant messages and maybe some other background tasks. But what if you needed a break from all of the technology that surrounds you and get back to the basics one weekend at a time? That’s exactly what Camp Grounded is offering.
Camp Grounded is a new summer camp that is aiming to help adults break away from technology in order to have them experience what it’s like to be a kid again. The summer camp for adults is near Anderson Valley, California and will take place some time next month for four days. The camp will feature a 1970s-style Boy Scouts camp atmosphere and will allow up to 232 campers to partake in the “fun” while they stick to a number of strict rules such as no use of technology, no cell phones and no talking about work. We’re not sure what exactly the camp organizers will do if they catch you breaking any of its rules, but if we had to guess, we’d say the punishment probably has to do with putting a bar of soap in your mouth or some of the other terrible punishments kids experienced in the 70s.
Are talking tissue boxes coming soon? Research being done by scholars over at Penn State shows that people who were confronted with a talking tissue box, one that made suggestions and blessed them, was a welcome thing by most people. The research is part of a larger project that shows how smart technology can be placed into our homes.
Our friends at TechBargains.com compile a list of daily deals to help you save money. Keep in mind that as with any good deal, products are limited in quantity and can sell out quickly – so don’t hesitate to check them out now.
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Some of you may have heard of Philips’ Ambilight, a technology that’s only present in some of the company’s high end TVs. Ambilight projects ambient lighting that matches the colors and brightness of what’s being displayed on screen. Lightpack does the same thing and then some. Plus, it can be installed on any TV or monitor.
Lightpack consists of a small central device that you attach at the back of your TV. The box connects the 10 small LED strips that provide the lighting to a desktop computer where you’ll install Prismatik, the software that controls the LEDs. Prismatik analyzes the images being output from your PC or Mac to your display and instructs the LEDs to light up accordingly.
Keep in mind that Lightpack isn’t capable of analysing data coming across an HDMI cable to add ambient light to TVs without a computer. Its makers are working on another project to do that, but it’s not likely to make it to market any time soon due to HDMI/HDCP licensing issues, Phlips exisiting Ambilight patents, and high production costs.
Prismatik also has many advanced features. For example, you can turn the LEDs into mood lighting even when your TV is off. Because Lightpack is built on open source hardware and software, if you know how to program you’ll be able to extend its functionality, like using the LEDs for Skype notifications or for indicating the temperature. Watch the video for more:
Pledge at least $80 (USD) on Kickstarter to get a Lightpack unit as a reward. Note that the current unit only works with displays that have a diagonal length between 10″ to 50″. If you have a larger TV you might need to get two Lightpacks.
Dogs have long been touted as being man’s best friend. Aside from companionship, dogs can save human lives, depending on their training, by sniffing out bombs, transporting medicine (remember Balto?), and helping the blind ‘see.’ Given all the joy and help that dogs give humans, it’s only fitting that humans give back to them as well.
Take the case of Naki’o, an adorable dog that lost all four paws to frostbite when abandoned as a puppy.
Image Credit: Rick Wilking/Reuters
He did fine as a pup, but began having difficulty supporting his weight as he grew bigger. So his loving owner, Christie Pace, searched for alternatives to help Naki’o out. She explained: “I have a soft spot for rescue animals in general. I was looking for something different, unique. I wanted to make more of a difference than a regular dog. I knew I could help him out.”
Pace set up a fundraiser to get prosthetics for Naki’o from OrthoPets. But when the animal hospital saw how well the pup did with his initial fittings, they set him up with a complete set of prosthetics, free of charge.
Image Credit: Rick Wilking/Reuters
I guess you could say they have a heart of gold. Oh, and a little bit of trivia: Naki’o is the world’s first ever dog to be outfitted with custom prosthetics on all four legs!
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We’d all like to pretend that money doesn’t make the world go ’round,
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