What it looks like to go down a luge track at a blazing 80mph

Bumpy. Dangerously fast as hell. And it looks like the luger will careen off the course at any given moment.Doubles luger Matthew Mortenson put on a helmet cam on a ride down the luge track in Sochi to show us what it’s like to go zooming down sloping slick ice on your back and while it looks like a fun roller coaster ride, it also looks like the chance of crashing is a solid 100%.

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2014 Jaguar XKR-S GT: The Alphebetastic British Supercar

Jaguars look great and it’s nice to know that they can go very fast as well. This new XKR was made to celebrate Jaguar’s ‘R’ division 25th anniversary. The resulting car is track-focused, but street-legal. It will not only blow your socks off, but your face as well.

jaguar xkr s gt supercar

The Jaguar XKR-S GT‘s maximum speed is limited to 186 mph. It will go from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds. It comes with carbon-ceramic brakes, a six-speed automatic gearbox, with electronically-controlled slip active differential. The engine is a supercharged 542 hp 5.0 liter V8.

Ahhh. Just listen to that sound. Only 30 Jaguar XKR-S GTs will be made available in North America, and you’ll have to fork over $174,000(USD) to get yours. Jaguar has said that if there’s enough demand, production could be ramped up to 50.

jaguar xkr s gt supercar side

jaguar xkr s gt supercar back

[via Autocar]

SMI Eye-Tracking 3D Glasses use rim-based cameras to adjust perspective

SMI EyeTracking Glasses support active 3D, use rimbased cameras to adjust perspective

Can 3D glasses get any less fashionable? Of course they can! And here’s some proof. Today, SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) teased its new Eye-Tracking 3D Glasses, which use a pair of small cameras mounted to the eyeglass rim to keep tabs on your gaze, adjusting perspective as you look about a scene. The rig uses ActiveEye technology from Volfoni, and can detect eye distance as well in order to provide a 3D-viewing experience that’s optimized for each user. Adding some optional hardware, including optical targets (as seen in the video after the break), can enable 6D head tacking support, for an even more immersive experience. Naturally, the solution is a bit cumbersome, and while pricing hasn’t been announced, we don’t expect it to come cheap — it’s definitely something you’d be more likely to see implemented as part of a virtual reality system, rather than a device you’d use at home. So, while you may never see such a product in the flesh, you can still get an idea of how it’ll work in the video after the break.

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Source: SMI (PR Newswire)

Chrome Beta adds video engagement APIs, promises higher-quality video chats sans plugin

Chrome Beta adds video engagement APIs, promises higherquality video chats sans plugin

After concentrating on gaming and visual improvements in previous releases of Chrome, the browser’s latest focus appears to be in video engagement. The latest beta includes a PeerConnection API that lets developers create real-time video chat applications without a plug-in. This builds upon existing WebRTC integration with a new getUserMedia API that should result in higher-quality video, audio, and data communications. The Beta also bundles in track support for HTML5 video, letting developers add in subtitles, captions, and other metadata — the above photo, for example, is a screencap of a bike ride video enhanced with Google Map and Street View data. Another nice addition is a MediaSource API which adjusts video quality based on computer and network environments, which should put an end to those agonizing waits while the dancing inmate version of Gangnam Style buffers. Those interested can get their mitts on the new Chrome Beta today.

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Chrome Beta adds video engagement APIs, promises higher-quality video chats sans plugin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 02:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nike’s Specially Designed Track Spikes Helped a Double Amputee Sprint in London [London 2012]

South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius just ran in the Olympics. Unlike his competitors he did it as a below-the-knee amputee, using Ossür’s Flex-Foot Cheetah legs. But he also faced a unique challenge that his competitors didn’t have to consider—how do you get track spikes on your prosthetics? More »

DIY GPS dog collar helps your pup fulfill its mobile computing potential

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Yeah, you love your dog, but is he or she really pulling his or her weight? A new project from Adafruit brings an on-board computer to your roaming canine, tracking the distance to your and your pup’s goal with a progress bar. The project is pretty simple, and Adafruit offers up most of the supplies, including the GPS and Atmega32u4 breakout boards — though you’ll have to procure your own fabric to make the big flower and some black nail polish to blot out the bright LEDs. The functionality isn’t quite as advanced as, say, products from Garmin — nor is it going to fill up your Twitter stream, but the collar does have the potential to track your mutt’s walks around the neighborhood with a few tweaks.

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DIY GPS dog collar helps your pup fulfill its mobile computing potential originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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