Hasta La Gadget!

It’s been only a few months since the Oculus RIft devkits shipped out to developers, and we’ve already seen some positively mind-blowing stuff, from remote-controlled drones equipped with cameras to full-motion VR simulations. Today, I came across what might be the most fascinating demo yet: a cover-based shooter so realistic that the developer has cautioned players not to get too absorbed, lest they try leaning against something that isn’t there.

Seriously. 

Gamers and game developers alike are excited about the potential of the Oculus Rift headset and the Virtuix Omni walking surface. But these virtual reality devices have applications beyond gaming. The Human Interfaces Group of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory used both devices to make simulations of space environments.

In an interview with Engadget, Human Interfaces Engineer Victor Luo said that they used a stereoscopic 360º panorama of Mars taken by Curiosity, satellite imagery of the red planet and development kits of the Rift and Omni to create an immersive virtual tour of Mars (or at least part of it). They also made a similar experiment for the interior of the International Space Station, but they used the Rift by itself to emphasize the feeling of floating in zero gravity.

While the experiment showed the potential of VR, Luo also said that they needed devices that had more sensors built-in before they can consider actually using them as tools. At the very least, I think their experiments can inspire a couple of VR games. Watch out for Curiosity Simulator and Dead Space: ISS. Oh wait, we already have the first one.

[via Engadget via Destructoid]

I really love my Philips Hue wireless bulbs. In fact, I’ve got my entire man cave/home theater/game room outfitted with the colorful, remote-controlled lights in my ceiling fixtures. But one thing that’s bugged me about the lamps so far is that they only come as reflector bulbs. Well, not for much longer. Philips has just announced that they are releasing the lamps in two new form factors, being dubbed the “Friends of Hue” line.

First up is the LivingColors Bloom. This compact lamp can be set on any flat surface and used to add a splash of color across walls or ceilings. It’s similar to earlier LivingColors lamps, but at a more reasonable price-point ($79.95 USD), and compatible with the Hue controller without any fiddling.

The more intriguing of the additions to the Hue line-up are the Hue LightStrips. These multicolored strips of LEDs can be placed just about anywhere – under furniture, inside bookcases or window sills, and can produce a bright line of linear accent light.

The LightStrips come in 6.6 foot-long sections which can be cut to size if you’d like. At $89.95 per strip, they’re not as cheap as plain-jane RGB LED strips, but they’re fully compatible with the Hue controller and apps without any additional hardware, which is what really makes these unique. Both products are made to complement Hue bulbs, so they’re designed to add splashes of rich color instead of some of the less saturated colors of the bulbs.

Both LivingColors Bloom and LightStrips will be sold through Apple Stores starting this Thursday, August 8th, though I already found the Bloom Lamp listed as in stock.

Designer Adam Harvey is obsessed with privacy. He’s come up with clothes that hide you from thermal sensors and x-ray machines, and an anti-paparazzi bag that ruins pictures. Recently he teamed up with materials consultant Johanna Bloomfield to make the OFF Pocket, a case that cuts your phone off from the world.

The interior of the OFF Pocket is lined with “metalized fibers”, acting as a Faraday cage that blocks Wi-Fi, Cellular, Bluetooth and GPS signals. It’s your phone’s tinfoil hat. Or tinfoil straitjacket.

Make sure your connection is secure and pledge at least $85 (USD) on Kickstarter to get an OFF Pocket as a reward. Or you could just power off your phone.

A single arrest and site shut down brought half of the TOR hidden services down. While TOR is a good way to anonymize yourself while on the Internet, be wary of hidden services right now.