Nov 04
One Israeli company has developed a revolutionary new way of eliminating tumors in breast cancer patients. But they didn’t stop there, and have recently taken new steps towards creating an innovative new treatment that may change the world.
Nov 04
It has been difficult for researchers to develop medical nanocomposites
that are capable of performing more that one task at a time; thus some
are used for detection, as in detecting cancer cells, and others deliver
cancer-fighting drugs. But recently, an international team of
university researchers were successful in creating one nanostructure
capable of performing three very important cancer-fighting tasks….
Nov 03
Using a robotic mechanism that works sort of like a giant 3D printer, artist Jonathan Schipper has created a device which fills a room with tiny sculptures made from grains of salt.
The robot moves around a room filled with 12 tons of salt on a set of four suspension cables, sort of like those cameras they use at NFL football games. But instead of a camera, there’s a mechanism that can pick up and extrude layers of salt.
The system was constructed for an art exhibit called Detritus, and it gradually creates tiny salt sculptures, as others collapse. The sculptures being built are representative of objects we take for granted in our world, like chairs, toilets, tires, and other everyday items.
…objects are continuously being formed but, due to the fragility of the salt crystals used to make them, they deteriorate at nearly the same rate new ones are being built. this installation is an attempt to create a vantage point that is impossible in the real world. a vantage point that both condenses and speeds up time and provides an objective view of the things we value which, at times, we recognize as merely detritus.
While the exhibit is already highly intriguing, perhaps the most unusual part is that you’re supposed to observe it from the comfort of a hot tub, while the robot does all of its work.
Detritus is currently on exhibit at Pierogi Boiler in New York, until November 24, 2013. No word on whether or not you need to bring a swimsuit.
[via designboom]
Nov 02
Lord of the Flies is
a dystopian novel by Nobel Prize-winning English author William Golding
about a group of British boys cast-offs on an uninhabited island who try to
govern themselves with disastrous results. Published in 1954 when McCarthyism and the "Red Scare" of the Soviet Union was at its height.
Flash forward almost 60 years to the day, and American are anxious once
again – but this time it’s not the Russians, it’s our own government.
Nov 02
One of last year’s most successful Kickstarter-funded projects was the MaKey MaKey, a device that allowed you to input keyboard commands to a computer using everyday objects. A new USB device called the Verve is similar to the MaKey MaKey, but it’s more versatile. Using a variety of sensors, the Verve lets you trigger mouse and keyboard input using real-world actions or events.
The Verve consists of a central console and seven types of sensors that plug into the console. It also has a companion program that has both Windows and OS X versions. The program is used to map the input from a sensor to a mouse or keyboard key, as well as to set the threshold – i.e. the intensity of the input – to which the mapped key will be triggered. For instance, you can use attach the motion sensor to a sword and make your videogame character attack when you swing the sword. Or you can leave the motion sensor by your cubicle and make your computer show your desktop when someone passes by. Because you’re not hiding anything there.
Pledge at least $99 (USD) on Kickstarter to get a Verve kit as a reward. The kit will come with one of each sensor along with all the cables you need. I’m a bit conflicted with the potential of the Verve. On one hand, the variety of sensors means it encourages a creative and diverse array of input options. On the other hand, the one-to-one correspondence of a sensor to a key makes it quite cumbersome to setup anything beyond a simple command.
The MaKey MaKey is so easy to use because it gave you several inputs just by plugging in one board. The Verve gives you seven sensors, but each sensor can only be mapped to one key. What modern software uses just one key? From what I understand it also does not support key combinations (e.g. ctrl+X). And what if you want to use more than one unit of a particular sensor? It’s amazing how cheap and user-friendly sensors have become, but I’m not sure if the Verve will be a legitimately useful product or a mere curio.
[via DVICE]
Nov 01
It was way back in March when word surfaced that the FAA was holding a study into the safety of allowing electronics use during takeoff on flights, and not too long ago that a decision was finally made, granting the freedom to do so with some contingencies on board. Fortunately for frequent fliers, it didn’t […]
Nov 01
MIT is at it again. This time, researchers have developed something known as an "M-Block." Basically, they’re tiny magnetic cubes that can move on their own and permanently stick together. In other words…they’re the first step towards self-constructing robots.
Awesome, right?
Nov 01
A San Diego driver was cruising down the street recently wearing her Google Glass Explorer headset and was pulled over by the police. The woman, Cecilia Abadie, was primarily pulled over for going 80 in a 65mph zone, but the California Highway Patrol officer also issued her a citation for wearing the Google Glass device.
The citation she was issued is typically given to drivers who could be distracted by a video or TV screen inside the vehicle. Google Glass is supposed to be a wearable device that makes it easy to stay connected to your smartphone for navigation and other needs while keeping your eyes on the world around you. So in theory, you’re less distracted using Google Glass than looking at the screen on your car’s nav unit.
Abadie says that while her Google Glasses were on her face, she wasn’t using them at the time she was pulled over. Abadie says that she will seek legal counsel to consider fighting that portion of the ticket.
This definitely brings to light the behaviors and laws which might need to adapt as wearable technology becomes more pervasive.
[via Fox News]
Oct 31
Most of us already went through the (horrible) experience of noticing a scratch in our car’s paint. Whether we hit a wall opening our door, inadvertently got a scratch by passing to close to a tree’s branch, or someone bad intentioned made a scratch on purpose, it always feels bad – specially cause it looks bad. Fortunately, an innovation made by a Brazilian Institute is likely to put an end to this issue.
Oct 30
At one of those iconic 80s movies of my childhood was Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. That movie started with Pee-wee Herman having his beloved bike stolen by thieves. What Pee-wee need was something like the LOCK8 smart bicycle lock. The guys behind this Kickstarter project claim that it’s the world’s first smart bicycle lock.
The LOCK8 is more than a bicycle lock, it also has integrated GPS, alarms, and the ability to push notifications to you and other people if your bike is messed with. The LOCK8 is keyless and uses a smartphone as a digital key to lock and unlock the bike. The system can also be set up to automatically lock when the owner walks away and unlock when the owner gets close to the bike.
The LOCK8 has built-in alarms that will activate if the bike is tampered with thanks to motion sensors, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor and a conductive cable. Messing with the lock in any way will trigger the alarm. The lock also allows bike owners to unlock their bicycle from afar allowing them to share it with friends when needed.
The smart lock is on Kickstarter through December 2. A pledge of £69 (~$111 USD) will get you your own LOCK8 with shipping expected in May 2014.
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