Previously, on "The Tech In Me":
The question is: why was he filming it? Was he planning on doing something special in that gaming session?
Check out this amazing robot and its capability to adapt to completely different terrains:
Description from the website:
"RHex is a man-portable robot with extraordinary rough terrain mobility. RHex climbs over rock fields, mud, sand, vegetation, railroad tracks, telephone poles and up steep slopes and stairways. RHex has a sealed body, making it fully operational in wet weather, in muddy and swampy conditions, and it can swim on the surface or dive underwater. RHex's remarkable terrain capabilities have been validated in independent testing at US Government Labs.
RHex is controlled remotely from an operator control unit at distances up to 600 meters. A video uplink provides front and rear views from RHex’s onboard cameras. RHex also uplinks navigational data from onboard compass and GPS and from payload sensors. A downlink allows the operator to control mobility and to operate mission payloads."
I would be crazy too if anyone would offer me a Nintendo Wii for Christmas, but I guess this is a little too much:
Source: Engadget
Just watch this talk by Nicholas Negroponte and be amazed as most of his predictions (regarding CD-ROMs, web interfaces, service kiosks and touchscreen interfaces) in 1984 were absolutely accurate:
I'm a sucker for all kinds of experimental and alternative interfaces with a computer. That's why I developed the Google Earth Led Torch Controller. Although this next one doesn't have that many applications, it is nevertheless quite interesting.
This is Scratch Input, an acoustic-based input technique that relies on the unique sound produced when a fingernail is dragged over the surface of a textured material, such as wood, fabric, or wall paint.
Check out the video for a demo:
... then this guy is not only the "bike hero", he's my hero! For all Guitar Hero fans, check out this great video of how to play this game on the streets:
Source: Kotaku
You can call me a geek, nerd or whatever but the truth is that when I see something like this, my body shivers of excitement:
As Yoda would say: To theaters, it will come.
You already know I'm a sucker for everything Portal-related. So, it's not news that I would post a video such as this one:
Using the brain as a computer interface is not a new idea. For a long time, researchers have been trying to use the electric signals coming from the brain as a way to perform basic commands on a computer and even as an anti-RSI technique. And as the technology is advancing, we get to see nice improvements that may be the key to help people with communication disabilities.
CBS' 60 minutes has made a special report on this kind of technology and here you can see a small segment that shows how the life of a man with a disease that has destroyed all his communication abilities, was greatly improved by using a brain-computer interface.
Previously, on "The Tech In Me":
Yes, that's right...the title is correct: a banjo can be used as a valuable brain surgery instrument.
Eddie Adcock is one of the pillars of Bluegrass Music. Recently he realised that a new found tremor in his hand could threaten his ability to perform professionally. So, he underwent brain surgery to treat the hand tremor and to test the success of the procedure, he played his banjo throughout the entire operation.
Surgeons placed electrodes in Adcock's brain and fitted a pacemaker in his chest which delivers a small current that shuts down the region of his brain causing the tremors.
Don't believe me? Check out the video:
Source: BBC News
What if you hide it in the least probable place? Watch the video and you'll understand...
Source
After hearing so many people talking about how amazing the new Bond movie's theme music is, I decided to have a look at it. And indeed, the music is quite amazing. The combination Jack White/Alicia Keys didn't seem obvious when I first heard of it, but after hearing the tune, it makes you wonder why these two haven't worked together before.
You can check it out at the official website. Or you can see the video here (but the quality at the official website is better):
The title doesn't actually reveal the proper value of a technology like this. Remember, this video is just an extreme example. Imagine what it would be like to have a suit like this when you're on your way to meet a client and you have to go through intense rain while walking a few blocks on the street.
This is a Nano-Tex Resists Spills suit and the all idea, as it will be clear to you once you see the video, is to offer a way to avoid those kind of episodes that can ruin your work day: like a coffee spill when you bump against a colleague on the corridor or when a truck goes by, sending that puddle of water right into you...
No, this is not a new release from Valve to continue the great game Portal. But you can imagine how a huge Portal fan like me, was excited to hear about this project.
The game is being developed by a bunch of French Portal fans as an independent, totally-free and non-for-profit release and the hype that goes with it, is certainly well deserved, given the teaser they posted on the official website:
Portal: Prelude, as its name states it, is an unofficial prequel to the game Portal. Its story revolves around the pre-GlaDOS epoch, even before she was plugged in. At this time, test subjects were monitored by real Aperture Science employees whose work was tedious, lengthy and repetitive. This is why they decided to build a great artificial intelligence that could both replace them in these difficult tasks, but also take responsibility for many other tasks within the complex and compete with Black Mesa's superiority. All employees of the Aperture Science complex are now eagerly awaiting GlaDOS. Maybe even a little too eagerly, as the upcoming events will tell...
So, Microsoft has decided to ditch Seinfeld and the all idea of "Microsoft and the future" and went on to adopt a new approach in their marketing campaign, where they focus on the idea that there are a lot of PCs out there and that, in spite of the stereotype created by the "I'm a PC" guy from the Mac ads, they can achieve great things. See the ad for yourself:
Even though the ad itself was made on a Mac, I still think it is better than the previous approach of placing Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld on a "higher level of the society" that is trying to "connect with the simple people".
However, it is still not there... because they show all these people but they still don't say why do they use Windows and not other operating systems. Maybe they use it because they have to, maybe it's because they don't know the alternatives, or maybe they are in fact not happy with using Windows but are too afraid to switch to Linux or Mac. And most of all, they don't show how all those people react when they get a BSOD and loose their work :-)
Source: The Mac Newbie
