Mar 15
Designed by German engineering firm Festo, these claw-tipped, artificially intelligent arms were designed to mimic the utility and movement of an elephant’s trunk – but the resemblance to Dock Ock’s writhing limbs is just uncanny.
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Mar 15
There are two reasons why I’m not a fan of most wireless chargers for mobile devices: they make it awkward to use your device while it’s charging and they require bulky cases for your mobile device. Slimo easily takes care of my second complaint. The first one? Not so much.
Unfortunate name choice aside, Slimo is indeed slimey slim. Instead of a bulky case it takes the form of a conductive patch that’s just 0.014″ thick. The patch delivers power to newer iOS devices via a Lightning connector. This means that you can attach Slimo without removing your iOS device’s case. You can even keep it underneath a case, as long as the latter isn’t made of metal. Slimo will work with any charging base that complies with the Qi Wireless standard.
Place your browser flat on your computer and try using it without lifting it off. Then pledge at least £22 (~$37 USD) on Kickstarter to get a Slimo patch as a reward. Pledge at least £39 (~$65 USD) to get a Slimo and a wireless charging base combo.
[via Likecool]
Mar 14
The way human infants learn motor skills – by grasping continually at whatever object they can get their hands on – is being used as a design inspiration for a new generation of robots. A German engineering firm has created a bionic elephant trunk that can learn – and be taught – like a baby.
Mar 14
Last year, Lift Labs Design unveiled Liftware Stabilizer, a spoon with an electronic self-stabilizing handle. Liftware makes it easy for people suffering from tremors – such as those with Parkinson’s Disease – to eat on their own. This month Lift Labs is back on Indiegogo, this time not just for itself but to help others as well.
For those who are not familiar with Liftware, its handle has accelerometers that detect motion and actuators to compensate for said motion.
Liftware is used only as a spoon for now, but because all of its electronics are in the handle Lift Labs will release additional attachments in the future, including a fork and a key holder.
Pledge at least $300 (USD) on Indiegogo to get a Liftware as a reward. You can also get the device directly from Lift Labs Design, but as stated in the video above, the company will match all Indiegogo pledges up to $50,000 dollar for dollar. That means for every $295 it collects, the company will donate two Liftware units to the International Essential Tremor Foundation.
[via Reddit]
Mar 14
We’ve seen pies with fruit inside. Instructables member Rick Winscot created a fruit with a whole Pi inside. Rick designed and printed a case for the Raspberry Pi that looks just like the Raspberry Pi Foundation logo.
Before you grab your 3D printer, just know that you’ll have to do more than print the case and stuff a Raspberry Pi inside. You’ll have to get some spare USB connectors and power adapter jacks, then solder those bits and fit them onto the base. You’ll then connect those to the Raspberry Pi’s ports, which will stick out of the bottom of the case. That way the whole thing can sit upright just like in Rick’s picture. You’ll also have to get magnets to secure the leafy lid.
Head to Rick’s Instructables page for more on his sweet case.
Mar 14
If you think 3D printing is only good for making flimsy paperweights, then you’re pretty much right. A group of audacious Dutch architects, however, have just begun 3D printing an entire canal house in Amsterdam. Is the first 3D printed house a gimmick? Definitely! Is it an experiment that pushes the possibilities for 3D printing technology and architecture ? Maybe!
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Mar 14
I have been using a Dish Network Hopper whole home DVR system for about a year now and I will never go back to a normal DVR. I can record a lot of shows at the same time on the system as it is now, but at times I run into issues and have to cancel stuff. This is mostly because my daughter records every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants and anything that has the word “horse” in the title.
Dish has announced that the Super Joey that was unveiled during CES is now available for people to have installed in their home. The Super Joey works in concert with the Hopper DVR system and when installed significantly expands the number of shows you can watch or record.
The Super Joey adds two more tuners to the three that come in the Hopper. One of the tuners in the Hopper automatically records ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX primetime shows, so you can theoretically record eight shows at once – or at least four programs you really want, plus four that you maybe want.
Hopefully, this means I can keep watching my shows when my daughter’s endless recordings kick off at the same time.
Mar 13
The Avengers Tesseract Case Replica Doubles as Media Player: Infinite Amusement
Posted in: Today's ChiliDustin Evans’ Tesseract case replica may not have the power to destroy worlds or foretell the future, but it can open portals to other realms. Aside from a glowing cube, the case also has a 7″ LCD monitor and a Raspberry Pi running the popular media player XBMC through Raspbian.
Dustin also wrote an Android app to control the LEDs on the case. He also uses his Android phone to send video to the case with the help of AllCast. Dustin also added audio and video outputs to the replica. You’ll see him connect it to a projector in the video below.
Assemble a browser and head to Dustin’s blog for more on his project.
[via Hack A Day]
Mar 13
Boutique video game shop Analogue Interactive announced that it’s going to release Analogue Nt, a retro console that can play both NES and Famicom cartridges. That’s double the library. Double the dribble. Double the dragon. And probably quintuple the Mario clones.
Analogue Nt is based on the NES hardware but will have support for up to four controllers as well as a case crafted from a single block of aluminum. Analogue Interactive should release more details about the console very soon, seeing as they plan on taking pre-orders by the end of the month. If their Neo-Geo MVS case mod is any indication, you should expect to pay more than a current gen console for this one.
Mar 13
LED bulbs are a great way to save some power and be more green since they consume much less electricity than standard bulbs. They can also do more than conventional bulbs. Tabu Design makes the cool Lumen Bluetooth LED bulb that we reviewed just a few days ago. One of the issues that might pop up for some with that bulb is that it’s a bit large for smaller lamps.
Tabu has launched its Kickstarter project for a smaller version of that bulb called the LuMini. This bulb is specifically designed to fit completely inside of smaller lamps. Part of how it works its magic is by using a ceramic cooling ring instead of metal fins.
Like the original, this bulb can be controlled via Bluetooth 4.0 using a smartphone app. It has RGB LEDs inside, and can make just about any color light you want. It’s also about half the price of the Lumen.
Unlike the Lumen, the LuMini doesn’t have a dedicated white LED inside. You can get white light from it, but it’s not as bright or pure as the original. The company has stretch goals that will produce other bulb sizes if certain milestones are met. A pledge of $30(USD) or more will get you a bulb in May 2014.
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