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Latest Gear Live Videos
Proteus Heads For the Water
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Developed for biological studies, water exploration, rescue, and the military, the Proteus has begun taking a few test drives around the States. The wave adaptive modular vessel can travel up to 5,000 miles on 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Its debut was in New York and it is planning on working its way to San Francisco in January before it moves on to Washington, D.C.
At a size of 100 x 50 feet and a cost of about $1.5 million, the vehicle has metal and fabric pontoons with hinges for skimming up to 30 knots (34.5 mph) while cushioned by shock absorbers. It also can be fitted with different detachable cabins for up to 12 passengers. Named after the Greek sea god who could alter his appearance, we think the Proteus will look a bit strange at first glance and just may scare off the enemy without doing anything but hanging out.
Read More 
| Live Science
Gallery: Proteus Heads For the Water
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The USB Greenhouse Adds Life to Your Cubicle
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Accessories, USB, Science,
If you’re the type that takes Fung-Shui-in-the-cubicle seriously, we’ll assume you’ve already seen the USB Fragrance Oil Drive. Now comes the USB Greenhouse, complete with Marigold seeds and artificial soil. It also includes Windows software, which not only lets you monitor the growth of your new friend, but includes wallpaper and a calendar. The greenhouse even has a “growth light” attached for those in sunlight-free cubicles, which when it comes to the workplace, is probably most of us. The USB Greenhouse measures 9 x 6.5 x 6.5 inches and according to the website, is selling out fast at $20 USD.
Read More | Geeks.com via Everything USB
Gallery: The USB Greenhouse Adds Life to Your Cubicle
We don’t know how we managed to overlook this cute bot until we came across him on Wired. Keepon resides in Kyoto and generally works as a child-development research tool. This past summer his owners Hideki Kozima, a roboticist and child psychologist, and programmer Marek Michalowski introduced him to the rock band Spoon. The video “Keepon Dancing to Spoon’s ‘Don’t You Evah‘” was born. Kozima is his costar and we know that you will recognize several robotic cameos in the last shot. Spoon and Keepon will be the headliners at Wired’s NextFest which begins September 10.
Read More | Wired
Gallery: Keepon Digs the Beat
Wheelchair Moves by Thoughts
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Ambient has created a wheelchair that runs on its passenger’s thoughts. It does this with the help of Audeo, a system that catches signals in the larynx from the brain on their way to the voice box. They are then sent to a computer which decodes them and matches them up to pre-recorded words that moves the chair in the specified direction. The company feels that the technology could also work to help those who cannot speak by relaying the messages to a synthesizer. Kudos to Ambient for believing that “everyone should be able to express their thought and ideas.”
Read More | Gearfuse
Gallery: Wheelchair Moves by Thoughts
The video may not be in English, but we are so impressed with this new 3-D printer that we want one. Think of the possibilities! If something breaks, you can replace it without anyone being the wiser, if you know how to paint. Create multiple cups and plates so you actually have an entire set that matches. We’re not sure if it can copy living things, but it might be kind of fun/scary to replicate the family pet to remember him/her when it finally goes to the happy hunting grounds.
Read More | Japan Probe
Gallery: Printer Duplicates in 3-D
Russian Artist Devises Virtual World
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science,
In a world of 1s and 0s…are you a zero, or The One? The Matrix exists, at least in the world of Russian designer Alexei Shulgin. He has created goggles that use filters to transform reality into a virtual world. The artist says that they work similar to filters in Photoshop, such as inverted colors and boost coloration. The glasses’ images can be projected on a screen and can work for several hours on one charge. We understand that the gadget really doesn’t do anything, still there is always room for another warped view of the planet.
Read More | English Russia
Gallery: Russian Artist Devises Virtual World
Isn’t That a Giant Banana Over Walmart?
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Misc. Tech, Science, Transportation,
Argentinian César Sáez, now based in Montreal, creates socially interactive sculptures and is now working on a Geostationary Banana. Designed with a propeller for the lower atmosphere, it will control itself with the help of two gyroscopes when it reaches up to 50km high. At a size of almost 300 meters in length, it has a semi-rigid bamboo structure, a skin of synthetic paper, and will ultimately cost over 1 million dollars. Sáez and his team are planning to launch the vehicle next August from Sonoma or Baja, Mexico destined for Texas.
We couldn’t really find any explanation for the launching of the giant banana blimp, although his site mentions possible reasons such as a tribute to the advertising industry and Andy Warhol. Why Texas? There are lots of “Walmarts, Exxons and Haliburtons there,” or perhaps because “there are no banana plantations in Texas.” We just wondered if it will have to be quarantined before entering the states.
Read More | Flasher
Gallery: Isn’t That a Giant Banana Over Walmart?
The four-legged Roller-Walker has a special mechanism on each foot so that he can walk over rough terrain or roll on flat surfaces. Installed actuators assist the lightweight bot which moves in a way that is similar to roller skating. Not quite as cuddly or versatile as BEAR, we are beginning to notice that robots are becoming more lifelike in their movements every day as opposed to just waving their arms, sliding across a planet, and yelling, “Danger, Will Robinson!”
Read More | Hirose Fukushima Robotics Lab
Gallery: Roller-Walker Skates
SciVee is Internet Science Fair
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Internet, Misc. Tech, Science,
If you missed out on your high school science fair and feel someone still owes you, you can now offer up your project on SciVee, a site that opened up this past weekend. Post papers and videos and be critiqued by your peers. There are also drop-down windows for data, references, comments, and a rating system. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and SDSC’s Supercomputer Center, it will only consist of those who have been published by the Public Library of Science to begin with, but will expand to include others when the idea catches momentum.
Read More | SciVee
Gallery: SciVee is Internet Science Fair
Estes Launches Digital Video Rocket
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cameras, Misc. Tech, Science, Toys, USB,
Imagine being able to create Google Earth in your own neighborhood. Estes, our fave rocket folks from the time we were old enough to fly them, are finally getting into the technology game. Their Digital Video Rocket can shoot footage from as high as 500 feet in the air. It is capable of recording a 12 second video at 640 x 280 pixel resolution or can capture up to 3 pictures per flight for a total storage of 15 images.
Connect the flying cam to your PC with included USB cable to download video and images. The injection-molded plastic rocket also comes with a launch pad, software, a controller (batteries not included,) and two sets of L1194 button cells. Also not included are C6-C5 engines which can be purchased for $9.95 per 3-pack. At a size of 16 x 3-inches, the rocket will be available for delivery around the third week of this month for $59.95.
Read More | Hammacher Schlemmer
