Living

Aug 11, 2012 10:00 AM   When it comes to flying around indoors, helicopters and their ilk get all the attention. That's generally because your typical plane is best suited for flying forward fast, not "painstakingly avoiding obstacles." This drone from MIT is an exception to that rule. Using a pretty standard Intel Atom processor, some on-board sensors, and some sophisticated calculations, this plane designed by MIT's Robust Robotics Group is able to dodge obstacles with ease, even at high speeds. It'd be impressive enough to watch this sucker cruise through a closed course, but to really prove its mettle, they brought it to a parking garage, where it completed a seven minute flight at 22 miles per hour, covering roughly three miles in distance, and coming within inches of collision. Take that, rotors! [MIT] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made aft...

Aug 2, 2012 1:40 PM   Tired of paying the exorbitant markup for fresh produce at your grocery store? For a mere $70,000—and the cost of finding someplace else to park your car—this compact hydroponics container lets you grow a farm's worth of vegetables on a minimal chunk of land. In fact, the creators of the aqua-cube claim it can successfully grow up to 23 different varieties of leafy vegetables, or smaller root plants like radishes and turnips, at the same time. And while $70,000 is certainly a steep investment, its yield is promised to be upwards of 10,000 heads of lettuce per year. More than the average family can consume, but perfect for a restaurant with a free parking spot near the kitchen. Just make sure you spring for the rooftop solar panel option to help cut down on the aqua-cube's $4,500 yearly power bill. [DigInfo TV] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts ar...

Aug 1, 2012 5:40 PM   Perfect for anyone who finds captive fish therapeutic but hates to clean their tank, a Japanese company has created this aquaponics system that connects a small vegetable garden to an aquarium filled with fish to recycle their poop. Besides providing a constant supply of H2O to the plants—perfect for people who forget to water—bacteria is used to decompose the fish waste and turn it into organic fertilizer for the vegetation. It doesn't mean the tank never has to be cleaned, but it should be infrequent enough even for lazy aquarium enthusiasts. A bright overhead lamp presumably provides enough light for the plants to flourish indoors, and custom-made versions of this setup will be available starting at around $3,800. Expensive, yes, but just think of all the money you'll be saving by avoiding the over-priced produce section at your supermarket. [DigInfo TV] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagna...

I always dreamed about being able to write or draw with no hands, using just my eyes. This new device invented by Dr. Jean Lorenceau at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris would allow me to do exactly that. Magic? Science! The system is already working. Lorenceau and his patients are using it to handwrite and draw on screens without moving a single muscle except those of their eyes. According to Lorenceau, this opens the door to expressive, very personal communication by people with disabilities, as described in the abstract of his paper, published in the July 26 issue of Current Biology: Here, I introduce a novel, temporally modulated visual display, which, although static, sustains smooth eye movements in arbitrary directions. After brief training, participants gain volitional control over smooth pursuit eye movements and can generate digits, letters, words, or drawings at will. For persons deprived of limb movement, this offers a fast, creative, and personal means of ling...

Jul 21, 2012 3:00 PM   An Austrian company has developed a new kind of triple-layer fabric that allows this jacket to keep the wearer either warm or cool depending on how they wear it—making it the perfect accessory for globe-hopping adventurers who prefer to travel light. The Polychromelab fabric is stretchable, breathable, and waterproof—and while one side features a black outer layer that absorbs sunlight and heat, the other is bright and reflective, radiating it all away. So when worn with the black layer on the outside, the jacket will not only suck up the sun's rays to keep you warm, it will also reflect your own body heat back onto you on the inside. And when worn with the bright silver layer on the outside, the jacket will in turn reflect light and heat, and allow your body to breathe and cool down if you're sweating. The first jackets made from this new uber-material won't be out until September, but the company has apparently been testing the fabric for several ...

Reception and call quality 7.4 Display 7.8 Battery life 6.7 Camera 6.3 Ease of use 9.4 Design and form factor 8.9 Portability (size / weight) 8.8 Media support 7.8 Durability 8 Ecosystem (apps, accessories, etc.) 9.5 Get better reviews from people who actually have this product! write a reviewsee all reviews ? View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.