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There is a new guitar in town, sort of. The Chameleon Guitar takes on almost any style with an internal computer. By swapping part of the soundboard it changes the acoustics. For example, adjusting the hybrid instrument can make a classical-sounding guitar turn electric. Amit Zoran and his team from MIT will keep working on the prototype and envision music companies developing their own soundboards and new instruments.
(Thanks, Stace)
Read More 
| MIT
Gallery: Chameleon Guitar
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It may be a long time before Scotty can beam us up, but we may be one step closer. The Joint Quantum Institute at the University of Maryland has managed to teleport information about a yard between two separate atoms. Working with other scientists from the University of Michigan and reported in the January 23 issue of Science, they say that the atom-to-atom teleported information so far is accurate about 90% of the time and will improve.
Read More | Live Science
Gallery: Scientists Teleport Info Between Atoms
Google Earth Beta 5.0 Features Underwater, Outer Space
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Google, Science,
Google has added 3D renderings of the ocean floor in its latest update since 4.3. Google Earth 5.0 is still free to download. Track gray whales, explore shipwrecks and see what the water looked like up to 50 years ago. Also in the new Google Earth are maps and satellite images of Mars, including probe landing spots, and you can save your toured places to share with other GE users.
Read More | Google Earth
Gallery: Google Earth Beta 5.0 Features Underwater, Outer Space
Trek into the mountains of Vermont this summer, and you may see an actual Giant Robot. Jaimie Mantzel has been working on his creation for a while now, and says that he is hoping for a springtime debut. When completed, the aluminum bot will be 12 ft. tall, 18 ft. across and Jaimie will pilot it via cockpit. Take a look at his site that is filled with video of the project and many of his other ones. By the way, if you like what you see and can’t wait for the time when Giant Robots dominate the planet, a donation would probably be graciously appreciated.
Read More | Jaimie Mantzel
Gallery: Jaimie Mantzel Giant Robot Project
Think you get a lot of spam now? Just wait. Stanford University has been testing a new email system that could let users send them without specific addresses or names. SEAmail (semantic email addressing) directs messages to those who fit certain criteria, i.e. “all professors who graduated from Harvard University since 1960.” It works in a similar way to a search. The group has also worked on another prototype where the user simply types in a name and the most recent email addy would be chosen automatically. That one sounds like a winner to us.
Read More | ABC News
Gallery: SEAmail, the New Email?
eCO2 Watch Cuts Down on Carbon Footprint
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Wearables, Design, Science,
The eCO2 watch is an interesting prototype that helps decrease your own carbon footprint. Of course it is a watch, but it also utilizes kinetic energy to pull in CO2 through its intake vents and spits out clean air through exhaust vents. While it seems that it would not make much of an impact, imagine if James Kershaw and Chad Garns’ creation was given to an entire city. In the meantime, when Earth Day comes April 22, it wouldn’t hurt to plant a couple of trees to do the same thing.
Read More | Yanko Design
Gallery: eCO2 Watch Cuts Down on Carbon Footprint
Businesses that have a few extra parking spaces and about $850,000 extra in their budget can invest in the GEM (Green Energy Machine) to crunch up trash. The generator accepts food, cardboard, plastic and organic waste, shreds it and turns it into pellets. These are then fed into a gasifier which produces synthetic gas that burns in a natural-gas microturbine. GEM will not accept metal and class because they have no energy content and can convert up to three tons of waste. Here’s hoping some enterprising person/company will create a GEM for the rest of us at lesser prices.
Read More | Daily Tech
Gallery: Green Energy Machine Recycles Waste
Those in Japan waiting for the big one can breathe a semi-sigh of relief. NTT has established an Urgent Earthquake Bulletin service that opens an alert window automatically on their PCs in case of a pending disaster. An alarm goes off and an estimated seismic intensity is displayed as well as arrival time. A standalone Flash FLET’S Type is also available from NTT. It has flashing LED lights and an audible alarm, arrival time and countdown. NTT claims that their service is more precise and up to date than others available.
Read More | Lets Japan
Gallery: NTT Urgent Earthquake Bulletin
Smartfish Pro-Motion Keyboard
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Science,
We have seen ergonomic keyboards before, but this one really makes us wonder. Smartfish’s Pro-Motion Keyboard supposedly adapts and adjusts to your “personal typing style.” This is done with Dynamic Positioning Control that studies your typing then adjusts the height, angle and radial position. It also features and auto-prompt exercise program, integrated wrist rest, and is compatible with Windows or Mac. Smartfish has collaborated with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York to design the full-size keyboard. We are just not sure that we are ready to have our peripherals occasionally moving beneath our fingers.
Read More | Smartfish
Gallery: Smartfish Pro-Motion Keyboard
BaR2D2 - Robotic Bartender
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Smart Home, Science, Videos,
Remember the Refrigerator that tosses beer cans? The BaR2D2 makes that look like an infant machine. Creator Jamie Price made the portable bartender in his spare time in his garage. BaR has a motorized beer elevator and ice/mixer drawer, a six-bottle shot dispenser, and sound activated neon lighting and sound effects. Jamie has full instructions available on Instructables if you would like to DIY. While you are there, vote for him so he can win some Craftsman tools to build his next clever creation.
Read More | Instructables
