Tag: Gadgets (Page 27 of 27)

      3D Printing Produces a Miracle

      August 4, 2012 /

      You know, until today I thought the best use for one of those 3D printers like the MakerBot was fashioning a Beethoven bust.

      Fortunately for the rest of the world, people better than myself are always looking to use revolutionary technology for revolutionary purposes beyond garnering Youtube hits. In fact 3D printing has recently been used to help a 2 year old girl named Emma. Emma, was born with a rare defect known as arthrogryposis multiplex congenital. Its main effect is weakening and shortening an infant’s muscles and joints to the point they are nearly unusable. After a long and burdensome series of treatments, doctor were able to fix Emma’s legs and get them back to functioning again. However, modern medicine had no answer for Emma’s arms, which they felt she would never be able to use via her own free will again.

      That’s where a research team in Deleware came in. Since Emma was so small, and underdeveloped, she would need a device to help her use her arms that was as lightweight as it was durable. Thanks to 3D printing technology, the team was able to build an exoskeleton that augmented Emma’s arm use, and allowed her to use them for the first time with few limitations.

      Obviously this is a story of technology overcoming a horror that no one (much less an infant child) should have to deal with. However, watching that video, it’s also obvious that science isn’t the only victor here, as the triumph of human spirit makes a noteworthy appearance as well. The smile on Emma’s face even before being able to use her arms, was nearly identical to the one after, as her unwavering spirit refused to be burdened by mere physical limitations. Only the look in her eyes as she discovered she could do new things like play with blocks, or lift a cup, or a million other little actions changed to reflect a sense of unparalleled wonderment.

      It’s that look though that makes it clear that any more research that can be done in this field should push forward with all support and full steam, so that we can continue to see news like this, and similar looks in the eyes of many children for years to come.

      News

      The Hunt for Red September Looks to Recreate the Submarine Experience

      July 26, 2012 /

      As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a submarine commander.

      Ok, that’s a lie. But I did watch a lot of “Das Boot” in high school, and I’ve always preferred the “Star Trek” style of space combat (submarine style) to “Star Wars” (airplane dogfighting). Now usually when I draw such a vague fascination with something tangible that I don’t feel like putting the effort forth to actually achieve, I turn to video games to feed the need. However, the world of submarine simulation video games are all mostly in the same family as the “Microsoft Flight Simulator” games. Which is to say, they’re so incredibly realistic, by the time you get a handle on them, you would have been better off actually becoming a real captain/commander.

      Well now, in a weird meta twist, where video games have failed to properly create an entertaining simulation of real life, real life has stepped in.

      The creative geniuses at 1.21 Jigawatts are looking to defend their Red Bull Creation contest crown with their new invention “The Hunt for Red September.” It’s a built to scale submarine model simulator that requires a player to operate the right series of valves, levers, and buttons (as instructed by an on board voice system) in order to prevent a series of disasters. Fail to complete the simulation in its 2 minute time limit, and the model sprays you with an absurd amount of water as punishment. Even cooler is the social interaction features, which allows people to tweet “depth charge” to the simulation causing the entire machine to rock back and forth via hydraulics, and allows for the ability for enough people to tweet for a torpedo to attack the sub, the incoming progress of which can be followed via an onboard LCD screen.

      Now if this sounds awesome, it’s because it is. However, this is no friendly game. Players have mere seconds to properly multitask the required functions in the right order before becoming drenched with water bursts. It apparently takes some serious skill to complete the simulation, which is only appropriate as it matches the skill put into this project in the first place. The team built this model in just 72 hours out of mostly spare parts, with the intention of winning the 2012 Red Bull Creation contest, and therefore making it to the Maker Faire in New York this September.

      While there are no current plans for this model beyond that, I’d personally like to see Fortune 500 companies start using one in lieu of job interviews.

      News

      Recipe for Innovation – ZipList Mixed Lightly with Pinterest

      July 7, 2012 /

      I have an odd affection for Pinterest. While I tend to ignore other social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare for regular surfing, I can’t help but love the concept, design and user involvement of the site, and it always feels like every time I visit, I’m really finding something that catches my interest, even if it is just for a moment.

      Of the various topic boards on Pinterest, the most continually interesting one has to be the food board. There’s a term out there called “food porn,” and it’s used when there is food that looks so good, and is so appealing to the eyes, that it causes a rush of endorphins that is the equivalent to looking at pornography. Well, the Pinterest food board is basically a hardcore food porn website, as pinners use it to find and share the best looking food on the web. If you’re smart, you’ll also learn to take advantage of the ability to click on the tantalizing food photos and get the recipe from the source site.

      And now, thanks to the handy recipe-saving program ZipList’s new Pinterest-friendly features, you have even fewer reasons not to go recipe cruising on Pinterest. It’s as simple as this: You download the ZipList program and drag the “clip it” feature button to your bookmark toolbar. Then, you just find a tantalizing food image on Pinterest like this:

      And you click the clip it button to bring up a screen that turns the image into an ingredient list like this:

      From there, you can use the site’s mobile app to bring up your saved ingredient list while you’re at the store, so you can shop for exactly what you need to make the recipe. There’s even a notes feature, in case you want to write down the full step by step recipe for future reference.

      The word from Pinterest is that 70% of users say that recipes are their most pinned topic. It’s no surprise, either, as the food industry is booming to the point that it’s being compared in some circles to the rock and roll revolution of the ’60s. So now is a great time to turn your solo food porn adventures into some hot, sweaty kitchen action as you use this program to help you take the bold step into the world of cooking for yourself.

      News

      Is This the Next Leap in Motion Technology?

      May 21, 2012 /

      For a peripheral that is somewhat overpriced, underutilized, and in general vastly inferior to the Nintendo Wii console it seemingly got most of its motivation from, the Xbox Kinect has made quite a splash in the motion based control field.

      There are of course the Guiness Book of World Records worthy initial sales figures to back this up, but the real proof of this impact is evident in the creativity this device’s impressive technology has inspired in its users. See while game developers can’t seem to make a good Kinect game that isn’t a dance simulator or Wii sports rip off if their jobs depended on it, the Kinect users have managed to hack into the device to make the basic technology that runs it do some incredible things. These include the entertaining (light saber simulators), the sci-fi worthy (robot controller), and the practical yet cool advancements in basic human interface:

      Motion controlled interface has been a dream of sorts for consumers, especially since it was popularized in the movie “Minority Report.” With devices like the Kinect and iPhone, we have gotten closer and closer to this goal, but have yet to fully realize it. Even the impressive demonstration in that video was marred by the fact that the movements needed to actually control the system had to be very blunt, and required full body commitment to make even the simplest of motion commands.

      San Francisco based company Leap Motion thinks they might have the inevitable solution. Their device (called the Leap) is about the size of an iPod and works through a USB input your PC or Mac. It reads a space four cubic feet in size, and is supposed to be 200x more accurate than anything else on the market. This means accuracy to within 1/100th of a millimeter, which should allow for subtle finger movements (instead of whole hand and body motions) being able to produce the desired results.

      The extraordinary video the company released seems to back that up.

      We’ve been promised the moon with motion sensors before, but I have to say that given the advancements in the motion field over the past few years, I see no real reason that the Leap shouldn’t function in the way it claims to. My only real red flag in that video is the video game controller sections. I still feel that we are a ways off from total motion control in games without the use of any buttons, especially in titles designed with mouse/keyboard in mind. Of course in menu heavy titles like Real Time Strategy Games or RPG’s, I could see this device making formerly monotonous navigation somewhat enjoyable.

      Even if it’s not yet perfect, at a modest retail price of $70 (pre-orders are being taken now), many consumers might give this device a shot and find their own ways to make use of it when it’s released early next year. After all, that’s the only explanation as to why the Kinect is doing so well.

      accessories, Gaming, Video

      Product Recommendations – Kindle 2

      March 3, 2009 /

      Kindle 2

      Amazon.com has followed up their revolutionary e-book reader, the Kindle, with a slightly more revolutionary e-book reader called the Kindle 2. Why do I say slightly more? Because not much has changed. At least not enough to satisfy the average book reader.

      There have definitely been a few improvements. Things like longer battery life (~25%), increased storage (from 256MB to 2GB – or about 200 books to 1,500 books), and a smaller all around frame won’t disappoint anyone. Also, better placement of the page turning buttons will make everyone happier. Accidentally turning the pages was complaint number 1 for the first generation Kindle. The final addition worth mentioning is the text-to-speech capabilities.

      Read-to-Me Feature
      With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog and book out loud to you, unless the book is disabled by the rights holder. You can switch back and forth between reading and listening, and your spot is automatically saved. Pages automatically turn while the content is being read, so you can listen hands-free. You can choose from both male and female voices which can be sped up or slowed down to suit your preference. In the middle of a great book or article but have to jump in the car? Simply turn on Text-to-Speech and listen on the go.

      Even with all those improvements, I still am hesitant to recommend the Kindle 2. I can’t get over the price. $360 makes the Kindle 2 quite an investment. Especially when you consider books are going to set you back another $10 a piece. And since all media on the Kindle 2 has DRM protection, there’s no way around paying that $10 every time. Last time I checked, my public library was free.

      My recommendation: Try before you buy. Find a family member or friend who has one and ask to borrow it. You had better love this thing before making such an investment. So, even with all the improvements, the Kindle 2 is not yet on my recommended list.

      News

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