July 1, 2010

CROSSROADS (WHAT TO DO) – CREATIVEAPPLICATIONS.NET ON VIMEO

Shared by Daniel Awesome. #htec The video installation “crossroads (what to do)” deals with the influence of others onto one’s own path of life in an abstract way. visit www.garvin.it
July 1, 2010

YOUTUBE – ENOUGHPROJECT’S CHANNEL

Shared by Daniel Talk about this and Foxconn #htec Share your videos with friends, family, and the world
July 1, 2010

NEW CHEMBOT PROTOTYPE CONTINUES TREND OF VAGUE DISTURBINGNESS

We’ve covered a couple different proposals for DARPA’s Squishbot Chembot program, including a blobbot powered by air and a robotic amoeba powered by chemicals. This latest Chembot prototype is a collaboration between iRobot, MIT, and Harvard, and like its Chembot compatriots, the system of movement it employs is quite simple: by selectively inflating compartments on its exterior, the robot can roll itself forward. Ultimately, this robot would be powered by chemical pressure (instead of compressed air), achieved through thermal expansion or phase transition or “smart fluid” (whatever that is). It goes without saying that I find this whole program extremely cool and innovative, but also a little bit, I dunno, freaky. I think it’s because these Chembots strike some sort of Uncanny Valley chord with me… Not in terms of their resemblance to a human (obviously), but in a more general sense: they appear biological while being artificial. And this pseudo-biological construction and behavior comes across in a not great way, like space alien brain slug laying eggs in your eyeballs biological. I think it’s the way it pulses or something. But maybe that’s just me. I do think that robots like these have a lot of potential, specifically because they are so different. DARPA thinks so too, of course, but it’s fun to think about what kinds of non DARPA-y applications a Chembot might have… Like, I dunno, maybe blobbing around inside my couch looking for loose change, or landing a starring role in a horror movie or something. [ MIT CSAIL DRL ] VIA [ Hizook ]
June 29, 2010

VIRTUAL REALITY HAIRCUT SIMULATOR TEACHES YOU HOW TO GIVE BAD HAIRCUTS [BAD IDEAS]

Air-Hair is a “virtual reality haircut simulator” from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, although it looks like that virtual reality is more Lawnmower Man than…whatever good virtual reality is. More »
June 29, 2010

3D DISPLAYS AND HAPTIC INTERFACES COME TOGETHER IN HIRO III

The Kawasaki and Mouri Laboratory at Gifu University in Japan are researching and developing a touch interface which, combined with 3D displays, could offer a new way to simulate the touching of objects. HIRO III is a haptic interface robot which can provide realistic kinesthetic sensations to the user’s hand and fingers, while the 3D display provides the visual experience. Possible applications include medical diagnostics training, but for now, HIRO III is still in the lab. Interestingly, we’ve seen a very similar — albeit more scholastic — take on the same idea very recently. Hit the video below for a fuller look at this one. Continue reading 3D displays and haptic interfaces come together in HIRO III Filed under: Displays, Robots 3D displays and haptic interfaces come together in HIRO III originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | source DigiInfo | Email this | Comments
June 29, 2010

MICROSOFT HINTS AT TOUCHLESS SURFACE COMBINING CAMERA AND TRANSPARENT OLED (VIDEO)

We’ve always wondered whether Microsoft’s multitouch table would actually ever arrive, dreaming of Minority Report hijinx all the while, but after seeing what the company’s Applied Sciences Group is currently cooking up — a touchless telepresence display — we’d rather drop that antiquated pinch-to-zoom stuff in favor of what might be Surface’s next generation. Starting with one of Samsung’s prototype transparent OLED panels, Microsoft dropped a sub-two-inch camera behind the glass, creating a 3D gesture control interface that tracks your every move by literally seeing through the display. Combined with that proprietary wedge-shaped lens we saw earlier this month and some good ol’ Johnny Chung Lee headtracking by the man himself, we’re looking at one hell of a screen. Don’t you dare read another word without seeing the prototype in a trifecta of videos after the break. Continue reading Microsoft hints at touchless Surface combining camera and transparent OLED (video) Microsoft hints at touchless Surface combining camera and transparent OLED (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink OLED-Info | source Microsoft Applied Sciences Group | Email this | Comments
June 29, 2010

GOOGLE STRUGGLES TO KEEP CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAPPY WHILE PROVIDING UNCENSORED SEARCH RESULTS

Shared by Daniel #htec What should Google do about China? A while back, Google made the bold decision to stop censoring search results in China. As a consequence of this action, the company is now a little bit nervous about its future in the country:
June 29, 2010

SWITCHED ON: TOKEN GESTURES

Shared by Daniel So we’ve gone from WIMP -> MPG. What’s after MPG? Direct neural interfaces? #htec Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In early 2005, even after the launch of the Nintendo DS, Switched On critiqued pen computing, noting that it was too cumbersome and unnatural to become a mainstream input method. That column was validated by the launch of the iPhone, which banished the stylus to “blown it” status and popularized “finger-friendly” handset designs from all major smartphone OS developers. Many have described the user interfaces of products such as the iPhone and Surface as ushering in the post-WIMP (windows-icon-mouse-pointer) era . Former Windows Magazine editor Mike Elgan has referred to the new paradigm as “MPG” (multitouch, physics, gestures) However, while these user interfaces feature streamlined designs and more direct manipulation, they still form a bridge with the graphical user interface. The main shift has been to more direct manipulation as the device processes more natural inputs. The same can be said for Kinect . For a tidy sum and some untidiness, Kinect enables the kind of motion-sensing gameplay that has become the Wii’s hallmark without having to strap the controller to various limbs (as with EA Active for Wii). In fact it eliminates the need to hold a controller entirely, just like the iPhone and iPad free users of mice and styluses. Beyond Soviet Russia, the input device uses you. Continue reading Switched On: Token gestures Switched On: Token gestures originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments
June 29, 2010

TRY AND TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS IPAD ARTWORK AND A REAL MASTERPIECE

Shared by Daniel #htec. What are the differences is artistic technique between this and ‘real’ painting? We’ve seen some extraordinary creations coming from the iPad Brushes app, but I think my favorite so far is David Kassan’s portrait of a live model who sat still for three hours (all livestreamed, naturally) while Kassan fingerstroked his iPad.
June 29, 2010

GOOGLE’S FACEBOOK KILLER “GOOGLE ME” CONFIRMED BY FORMER FACEBOOK CTO

When Digg founder Kevin Rose tweeted about the existence of “Google Me,” Google’s supposed “Facebook killer” social-networking site, I’d love to know whether he expected Facebook’s former-CTO to jump into the fray and confirm it, saying it’s a “real project.”
June 29, 2010

PR2 PUSHES CART, CLEANS UP AFTER YOU

When I originally heard about PR2 being taught to push a cart, my comment was “meh,” at least in contrast to PR2 fetching beer or playing pool. However, nobody told me that the robot would be picking up trash, putting it on the aforementioned cart, and then pushing the cart over to the sink. We’re about to go full circle here, folks… PR2 fetches beer. PR2 plays pool while you drink beer. PR2 cleans up beer. Repeat. Pushing a cart is also trickier than it seems. The physical act of pushing is not particularly challenging, but the cart makes it significantly more difficult for the robot to navigate. Not only does the cart block the PR2’s forward view, but in effect, it changes the shape of the robot, changing how PR2 has to move, especially in tight spaces. The solution to this involved just applying different motion planning software, which was easy to do, thanks to the open source environment of ROS and the standardized PR2 platform. What I don’t entirely understand is the need for a human in the loop to identify specific containers for cleaning. I guess it might be bad for PR2 to pick up things containing liquid in case it spills, but remember that nifty squeezing experiment from last September that showed how PR2 could tell the difference between open and closed and full and empty containers? Seems like this would be the perfect time to use it. [ Willow Garage ]
June 29, 2010

DARMSTADT DRIBBLERS WIN ROBOCUP 2010 KIDSIZE

This year’s RoboCup 2010 KidSize championship match was all German, with the FUmanoids from Berlin against the Darmstadt Dribblers. This is no surprise, since it was the exact same final match in 2009. The Dribblers took home the trophy (not sure if there’s actually a trophy), and before you leave unimpressed, remember that this is a fully autonomous match, with the robots relying entirely on their programming and a webcam on their head to find the ball and then decide what to do with it. More vids, after the jump. Here’s what the game looks like to the robot… This particular robot is Bruno, from the Darmstadt Dribblers, who made one of the most epic goals of the 2009 competition\. And here’s the Darmstadt Dribblers versus Team DARwin (from the US) in the semifinals: [ Darmstadt Dribblers ] [ BotSportTV ] Thanks Stefan!
June 10, 2012

RESHARED POST FROM DERYA UNUTMAZ

Reposting a comment from the OP. __________ We should be very careful distinguishing between abuse and illegality. Although many of these students obtain the drug illegally, far fewer “abuse” the drugs in any serious sense. Stims are useful and they work. Some of these students are purposefully using these tools to enhance their abilities. This isn’t abuse, this is technological change. Calling it abuse and stigmatizing it is completely counterproductive, and serves to exacerbate the health risks. Instead, we should be figuring out ways to make sure these kinds of stims are safe for the purposes for which they are being used, and we should be educating students about the potential dangers and risks associated with use to make sure their use is safe and effective. We should be attempting to cultivate social norms in which this technology can be used safely and productively. Calling it “scary” and driving it underground will only make the drug more dangerous, more risky, and less controllable. I know prohibition is a tempting and natural response to cybernetic enhancement (and especially with drugs), but the history of the drug war should have convinced us that this is the worst possible response. Derya Unutmaz originally shared this post: At high schools across the United States, pressure over grades and competition for college admissions are encouraging students to abuse prescription stimulants, according to interviews with students, parents and doctors. Pills that have been a staple in some college and graduate school circles are going from rare to routine in many academically competitive high schools, where teenagers say they get them from friends, buy them from student dealers or fake symptoms to their parents and doctors to get prescriptions. While these medicines tend to calm people with A.D.H.D., those without the disorder find that just one pill […]
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