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KumoTek announced that they have sold Bioloid Robot Kits to the U.S. Naval Academy for hands-on classroom activities. The bot can not only be a humanoid, it can also become a dog, spider, dinosaur or other configurations. We have decided not to make the usual joke here mentioning how military intelligence is often thought of as an oxymoron. We will simply state that perhaps it is a good idea if they buy the Beginner Kit for $349.00 or the Comprehensive for $890.00 before they try to construct the Expert version for $3490.00.
Read More 
| Roboporium via I4U News
Gallery: Bioloids Join The U.S. Navy
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Visomate Corrects Vision and Posture While Sitting at the Computer
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Accessories, USB, Science,
What we love about the USB-fixated folks at Brando is that along with some pretty nutty items, they also sell some pretty useful stuff as well. Consider the Visomate, which helps you reduce neck and eye strain while at the computer. The innocuous-looking disc is placed on top of your monitor, plugged into a USB port, and using an “ultrasonic sensor” helps you determine the proper way to sit if front of your monitor. LED lights and help you position yourself, for ergonomic goodness: Blue means “Not Recommended”, while Red means “Too Far”. Pretty helpful, and great for both kids and adults. The Visomate is available for $26 USD.
Read More | Brando
Gallery: Visomate Corrects Vision and Posture While Sitting at the Computer
Back in 2000, research had shown that adhesion from geckos was achieved from forces produced by hair-like structures (setae) on each foot. Now Professor Phillip Messersmith from Northwestern University has come up with a practical usage for the concept. Geckel has the ability to stick to both wet and dry surfaces from coating fibrous silicone (like the reptile’s foot) with a polymer that is likened to the “glue” from muscles. Messersmith envisions his water-resistant application to be used in bandages in place of sutures or patches and says that it can stick and unstick more than 1,000 times. Do you suppose they consulted Geico’s mascot when doing the math?
Read More | BBC
Gallery: Geckos Help Develop New Adhesive
Join BOINC and Aid Scientific Projects
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Internet, Misc. Tech, Science,
Devotees of Sci-Fi will probably recall the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) screensaver that was offered several years ago. Although we had one and never found any aliens lurking about, the organization is a part of the University of California BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing.) Basically, you share your computer’s downtime with several scientific projects, including those that concern math, biology, and global warming. There are volunteers to communicate with via message boards and the organization holds workshops from time to time. Many of the projects are open source and the site encourages optimization. You simply download the application, pick your projects, and watch the pretty displays solve the world’s problems, even if you don’t understand the concepts.
Read More | BOINC
Gallery: Join BOINC and Aid Scientific Projects
Control Your Gadgets With Hand Signals
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Home Entertainment, Misc. Tech, Science,
When you are not too busy controlling your music with the MX Air Mouse, Australian scientists have created a remote box that can be utilized by hand gestures. Its built-in cam recognizes 7 hand gestures to control up to eight different gadgets. For example, you clench your fist for start, a sideways peace symbol for channel, and a thumbs-up for channel-changing. The product of engineers Dr. Prashan Premaratne and Quang Nguyen, they claim that during testing the device could distinguish between real commands and habitual gestures under various lighting and range of distances. We wonder how it would react to the constant “high-fiving” that is done during male-bonding sporting events. Perhaps they should include that into the design before it hits the market in the next 3 years.
Read More | International Reporter
Gallery: Control Your Gadgets With Hand Signals
Perhaps because of all the recent terrorist-type activities going on in the UK lately, Merseyside County police were treated to a demonstration of the German built MD4-200 chopper. Three feet wide, the drone has four almost silent rotors and can fly up to 15 mph via GPS way points. It sends images to the pilot and/or a control room from nearly 550 yards away, but can only work for 20 minutes at a time. The choppers will be utilized, starting in September, for such minor duties as traffic jams and recording evidence, but we are pulling for the little drones to do their part to seek out the baddies, too.
Read More | Popular Mechanics
Gallery: German Chopper To Aid UK
Here’s more evidence that Sci-fi is creeping into the realm of fact. Mitsubishi put its robotic receptionist Wakamaru up for hire and the Japanese temporary People Staff Agency took the bot as a client. Standing 3 feet, 3-inches and weighing 66 lb., the robot rolls around on wheels and can recognize individuals, perform simple tasks, and has a 10,000 word vocabulary for telling people that the boss is busy. It will even sing songs to those waiting to be seen. Wakamaru demands payment of up to 120,000 Yen (~$1,000.00) a day, or 3 million yen a year ($25,000.00,) making us think that it’s time to get Rosie to ask George Jetson for a raise.
Read More | Sankei (Japanese) via Pink Tentacle
Gallery: Wakumaru Becomes First Robotic Temp
China Checks Validity of Weight Loss Patch
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science,
China has decided to pay attention to an herbal weight loss patch that its makers claim you simply paste on wherever you want the “fat to flow.” The roughly translated “America Seven-Point Thinness,” is named after an acupuncture point and is said to have helped past/future first daughter Chelsea Clinton lose over 25 lbs. in under a month. During testing on a warmed up cup, an oil actually seeped from the cup itself. We are thinking that it must have been one of those high fat/carb lattes.
Sales of the patch on China Central Television commercials managed to bring its sales to over $26 million. Attempting to alter its recent reputation for allowing substandard food out of the country, China has decided to look into food, drugs, toy, and health products that may not be quite up to their hype.
Read More | Reuters
Gallery: China Checks Validity of Weight Loss Patch
The final results are in. Making the list of the new Seven Wonders of the World are India’s Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the Collosseum in Rome, Mexico’s Chichen Itza Pyramid, Peru’s Machu Picchu, Brazil’s Statue of Christ Redeemer, and Jordan’s Petra. The Giza Pyramids will still retain its status as the only surviving ancient Wonder. Although we would have liked the Statue of Liberty to be among the winners, those of us at Gear Live who have seen the Taj in person are pleased that it at least made the final cut.
Read More | Live Science
Gallery: The New Seven Wonders of the World
Robotics engineer Stefan Schaal so impressed DARPA (the U. S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) with his robotic dog that they have given him $1.5 million to continue his research. Traveling at a speed of only 0.6-inches/second, the toy poodle-size Robo-dog measures position, velocity, and acceleration of its legs. It then learns from any mistakes it makes and reroutes himself. Schaal is now hoping to triple that step rate, no doubt hoping that the robotic pup can eventually run all the way to the bank. You can check out his slow trek on Live Science, although we warn you that the creature is rather eerie to watch in action.
Read More | Live Science
