MIT Invents Shape-Shifting Robots. Small Step Towards Real-Life Transformers
This device, known as a milli-motein, doesn’t look like much more than something you'd find in a home-workshop drawer. But this millimeter-sized set of motorized components inspired by proteins may be a harbinger of real-life Transformers, with the ability to naturally fold themselves into incredibly complex shapes.
Thought-Controlled Artificial Limbs. A Robotic Revolution For Amputees
The world's first implantable robotic arm controlled by thoughts is being developed by a postdoctoral student. The first operations on patients will take place this winter, changing the lives of amputees.
Intellipaper: The Smart, Disposable USB Drive Made From Paper
'A New Page In Technology' is the pitch coming from Intellipaper's creators, a company behind an environmentally-friendly, super-cheap alternative to the common USB drive.
'1 Second Everyday' App Builds Movie Using The Rest Of Your Life
New iPhone app 1 Second Everyday gives the capability of building a movie that includes one second of every day for the rest of your life. Through the simple interface, users can savea chronological combination of short clips to form an interesting new take on the video diary.
Cambridge University Centre To Study "Extinction-Level" Threat To Humans From Technology
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have formed a new centre to explore the threat advances in technology may pose on the human species. The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), they will investigate developments in biotechnology, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, figuring out how these areas could become a threat to humanity.
The first line of defence against Skynet is now in place.
Microsoft To Introduce 'Xbox TV' To Take On Apple TV?
Citing “multiple sources familiar with Redmond’s plans”, The Verge has been tipped that Microsoft is planning to launch an Xbox-branded set-top box, similar to Apple TV, built to deliver movies and TV shows as found on the 360 marketplace, as well as more ‘casual games’ – most likely to be downloadable Xbox Live Arcade titles.
Disney Creates Robot That Plays Catch
Disney Research have built a robot that plays a scarily humanlike game of catch, tracking the user and the ball with its eyes. Aimed for use in Disney's theme parks of the future, it can also juggle too.
Stony Brook Unveils Real-World Holodeck, The 'Reality Deck'
So we’re some years off reporting on the invention of warp drive, or the development of a working medical tricorder, but our Star Trek future is getting ever closer - this might just be the closest we’ve ever come to seeing the holodeck. Named the ‘Reality Deck’ and built over four walls at Stony Brook University (SBU) in New York, it’s made up of 416 Samsung LCD high-resolution displays (each of 2560 x 1440 pixels), which brings in a total resolution of over 1.5 billion pixels.
Robot Book Scanner Captures 250 Pages Every Minute
Researchers in Japan have built a book scanner capable of capturing 250 pages-per-minute. To put that into perspective, it would take under ten minutes to scan the entire Oxford English Dictionary.
Brain-Controlled Helicopter Takes Flight On Kickstarter
The Puzzlebox Orbit, a flying helicopter orb guided by brainwaves, has successfully exceeded its target funding on Kickstarter.
Brainwave data is transmitted via a NeuroSky MindWave Mobile EEG headset to software running on either the pyramid-shaped base (called the Puzzlebox Pyramid) for the helicopter, or a tablet/smartphone. Through this, your thoughts are turned into flight commands and your spherical helicopter takes to the skies.
'The WITCH.' World's Oldest Digital Computer Resurrected
After a three-year restoration project at The National Museum of Computing, the 61 year old Harwell Dekatron (aka WITCH) computer has been successfully rebooted, becoming the world's oldest original working digital computer.
Ban ‘Killer Robots’ Before It’s Too Late, Says Human Rights Watch
With a 50-page report outlining “concerns about fully autonomous weapons, which would inherently lack human qualities that provide legal and non-legal checks on the killing of civilians”, Human Rights Watch has called for governments of the world to pre-emptively ban what they are calling ‘killer robots’, fully autonomous killing machines.
The Decelerator Helmet. Live Your Life In Slow Motion
German artist Lorenz Potthast has created an experimental helmet called The Decelerator, which allows the user to perceive their world in slow motion. It seems that the invariantly constant stream of time has been digitally broken.
Thieves Make Off With $1.5 Million iPad Mini Haul In JFK Heist
In a heist reminiscent of that pulled off in Goodfellas, a pair have made off with a haul of Apple iPad Mini's (3,600 of them to be precise) from a cargo building at New York City's JFK airport.
Vuzix M100 Eyes Up Google Glass
It appears Google has some much-needed competition, then, in its efforts to develop an augmented-reality head-mounted display - Vuzix has just announced the M100 hands-free smartphone display and communications system.
The Infinite Jukebox: Your Favourite Song Mixed To Last Forever
Let's be honest, we call our music tastes "diverse;" but there is always that one favourite song that deserves multiple uses of that Repeat button. The Infinite Jukebox takes this concept in a new, algorythmic direction, remixing said song to continue playing forever.
Elliptic Labs Brings 'Minority Report' Gesture Control To Windows 8
Norwegian company Elliptic Labs has launched a new touch-less gesturing control that uses ultrasound technology to translate hand movements, and bring a 'Minority Report' style implementation to Windows 8.
Stanford Scientists Develop Pressure-Sensitive, Self-Healing 'E-Skin'
While work continues to be carried out on material that could ‘bruise’ to signal levels of damage (posing a future where the iPhone distorts in colour as wear and tear occurs), chemists and engineers at Stanford say they are on their way to developing a new ‘e-skin’ synthetic material that is not only sensitive to the touch, but also self-healing.
The Pursuit To Make The Body A Power Source Moves To The Ear
While medical implants have been getting smaller and more efficient over the year, the batteries used to power them have not. Making them too small, however, severely reduces the expectant battery life and thus ups the likelihood of surgery to replace them. We can’t just cut out and eject power packs Terminator-style, so researchers have been looking at ways the human body could power the devices, and one such way is with our ears.
'Pixels For Pistols.' Guns Traded For Cameras In Canadian Anti-Violence Program
Canadian Police have introduced a rather create anti-violence program by the name of 'Pixels for Pistols,' urging the public to trade in firearms for a camera.
Rather akin to the weapon amnesties UK police hold; but with the added bonus of teaching them to shoot perfectly composed images instead of people. A simple yet, so far, effective concept where the public have been asked to trade in their unused firearms, safely and without being charged, for a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8 and a lesson on how to use it.