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Showing posts from May, 2011

Instrument for Blank Architecture

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"Instrument for Blank Architecture" is a mobile listening device, adaptable to the space which it occupies. A tripod that is equipped with a balancing device and is generally used by a land surveyor to document landscapes and topographies, here, becomes an instrument dedicated to the exploration of mental landscapes. ( core77 )

Tron Lightcycle Case from Bods Mods

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Some say that PC case modding is a form of art, and if you were sitting on the fence requiring more concrete evidence, then surely even the TRON Lightcycle PC from Bods Mods is capable of swaying your mind. This is not a street legal version of the fantasy vehicle in the 3D blockbuster that was screened at the end of last year, as it measures just 40″ long (or should we say, short?), but underneath the hood you will find an ATX motherboard, liquid cooling, and a generous number of blue light strips. The designer actually started from scratch to custom build this unique PC chassis, using SketchUp, Google’s 3D modeling app, alongside tons of foam shaping and Dremel work. ( UberGizmo )

Lantern Concept Grows Sapling Trees While You Hike

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Designer Franklin Gaw has come up with an interesting concept that brings new life, quite literally, to camping lanterns. It can help you replant the woods you enjoy walking through while also lighting your way. The idea is to have the lantern double as a terrarium, which can grow saplings of native trees. When the sprout is large enough to plant, you pop open the lantern, and transplant the sapling to help replant the forest. The idea is interesting enough but I can't help but wonder how the heat from the light source affects the sapling. The lantern would need to use an LED bulb and probably have an open top or some way to let the excess heat escape so that it doesn't burn the foliage of the plant. That, or use a bulb so dim that it can't necessarily help you find your way through the woods at night. ( Gizmodo )

Is This Is a Floating Car or a Low-Flying Plane?

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This robot has been developed by Japanese researchers to take advantage of 'ground effects,' which allows the craft to hover off the ground at an extremely low height, thereby avoiding friction. The idea behind a craft is that it will someday be used as a train replacement. The lack of friction means it's able to travel as fast (possibly faster) than a train (which rubs against a rail and wears it down), and in theory, would be cheaper and more efficient than a maglev train, which has a significant drag coefficient. On the downside, this thing controls like a plane, with pitch, roll and yaw having to be taken into consideration. One concept has the craft in a tightly-fitted corridor, which prevents it from racing out of control. ( Gizmodo )

World’s Smallest Flashdrive

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We love superlatives—and right now USB 3.0's super speed is a great one. Also nice? Anything world's smallest. That's what PQI is claiming of their newest flashdrive. But is this thing even relevant anymore? We're living in the Dropbox era-I can beam an album, text, or naked pictures to anyone in the world without the need for barbaric physical media. Still, when it comes time for heavy lifting—say, swapping TV seasons with an office buddy or collaborating with obese HD video files, having a blazing, tiny USB drive can be a godsend. This little sucker just might be the logical conclusion of the flashdrive. (Gizmodo)

$25 Computer

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This skeletal computer absolutely WILL NOT run Crysis. However, it will (just barely) get you up and running on the internet, and is so small it can dangle from your keychain (though I don't recommend it). Equipped with a 700 MHz ARM 11 processor, 128 MB of RAM, a USB port, and room to add a webcam or wi-fi module, the Raspberry Pi is a shrunken down version of that Gateway computer you had over a decade ago, except it's just a circuit board...nothing else. Aut that computer didn't run Ubuntu 9, which I'd definitely take over Windows ME (and probably Windows 2000 as well). Creator David Braben plans to sell it for $25, but still has to finalize manufacturing.( Gizmodo )

CTRL + O Bottle Opener

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For all the nerds out there, sometimes we just need to open our computer files in a hurry, and a quick keystroke combining the CTRL button and the letter “O” is milliseconds faster than dragging the mouse cursor to the File -> Open selection. Don’t you agree? If you do, and you’re also a nerd who can kick back a few brews, we’re looking at an awesome Ctrl + O bottle opener . ( foodbeast )

Aquastar AS2, Underwater Scooter

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The Aquastar AS2 two-seater scooter is a reality after going through intense design and engineering moments, and the fact that you have someone to accompany you underwater at the controls ought to do away with any fear of drowning in the deep, leaving you and your partner undiscovered for centuries. The AS2 is touted to be the perfect form of “transport” for couples who want to explore underwater wonders in an extremely safe environment, as both riders are free to dismount, swim around and climb back aboard. It must be noted that the diving helmet has been carefully integrated into the scooter’s body, where the rider’s head will go inside an air chamber within the helmet that will be constantly supplied with air from scuba tanks. These scuba tanks are able to last up to 70 minutes when attached to the front body of the scooter. Apart from that, the helmet itself sports a flat fog resistant glass, and is 99% distortion free so that you get to enjoy a clear underwater exp