Technology
Technology: MIT Lets Its Cheetah Give The Defense Department A Run For Its Money (Video)
September 18, 2014
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technologies for use by the military, is at again! Above is video of The Cheetah 2 – MIT research funded by DARPA – capable of running 10 mph and jumping more than a foot over stuff. You’ll see all that above. Not only in a sterile lab; but out and about in the school’s yard. Not in the jungle… yet. But near-term applications like improvements in human prostheses; not jungle warfare… yet.
READ: MIT’S CHEETAH ROBOT
Scientists Develop New Camouflage Technologies Inspired By Octopus Skins (Video)
August 21, 2014
And in sci-fi-superpowers-made-real news, humanity likely took its biggest recent step toward real cloaking/camo. And it’s actually along the lines of something posted here earlier. Scientists studied the instant camo technique of octopi…and learned!
Hey, it’s not like anyone will be going Zartan (G.I. Joe) or Sue Storm (Fantastic Four) anytime soon; but this is a big step forward in that direction. Get the gist above. Peruse more info below.
MORE: OCTOPUS SKIN HAS INSPIRED NEW TYPE OF CAMO (TIME)
EARLIER: OCTOPUS IS A MASTER OF DISGUISE (JAYFORCE)
Posted in Science, Technology, Videos | 
Tags: Adaptive camouflage skin, camouflaging techniques, heat-sensitive dye, inspired by octopuses, octopi, Octopus | 
No Comments »
Technology: Carnegie Mellon Has A Way To Capture Memories In 3-D (Video)
July 31, 2014
So you are looking at a scrapbook full of pictures and sharing memories with your folks. A pleasant afternoon, right? Probably. But then comes the start of the “that’s not how it happened” argument. How about the “y’all should’ve been there” comment about events a recaller swears he could show you better than he can tell you?
Well, Carnegie Mellon has stepped up in the coolest way with some of the coolest tech. Man! Watch this short clip, and imagine instant replay or crime scene investigations being enhanced with rich 3-D video/photo like this. Incredible! Some Hollywood ‘Avatar’ *ish on the next level.
Technology: The Maker Of Hoverbike Needs Your Help To Make It A Reality (Video)
July 29, 2014
Kickstarter lets us fund everything; including the future! Check out the above video, and imagine being able to ride a Hoverbike. That’s right, you can be part of the creation of the world’s first flying motorcycle. Nice!
Declared “a revolution in aviation” by the project head, Chris Malloy, the Hoverbike is the result of years worth of R&D to combine the simplicity of a motorbike and the freedom of a helicopter. Cheaper, more rugged and easier to use, the Hoverbike flies like a quadcopter, and can be flown unmanned or manned, while being a safe – low level aerial workhorse with low on-going maintenance.
Oh yeah. This is happening. It’s over 66% funded already. Watch and wonder above. Follow the link to get in on this below.
MORE: HOVERBIKE (KICKSTARTER)
Posted in Opportunity, Technology, Videos | Tags: Chris Malloy, Hoverbike, Kickstarter | No Comments »
Science: MIT Demonstrates How ‘Squishy Robots’ Could Be Made (Video)
July 26, 2014
So… shape-shifting robots. You’re thinking Transformers, right. Okay, okay. Good start. But that’s just a start. We’re being led by what we see on the box (TV, movie screen). Let’s let the folks over at MIT take the lead for a sec; get us thinking outside the box.
Imagine a robot that could flex smoothly at the joints, or could flex its entire body (chassis, or whatever). What kinds of environments and situations could such a robot get in and out of. We’ve posted on all kinds of robot prototypes… real and sci-fi; even snake-formed. But they were mostly rigid, clunky; not nearly as flexible as organic life.
But what if we could do that? What if MIT showed you some coolness that could be a HUGE first step toward making strong super-flexible robots! Click play above. Plenty of room outside the box!
READ MORE: SQUISHY MATERIAL FOR SHAPE-SHIFTING ROBOTS (WIRED)
Posted in Science, Technology, Videos | Tags: polyurethane foam, Squishy Robots, Wax | No Comments »
Inside The Explosion: A Camera Drone Flies Through Fireworks (Video)
July 7, 2014
Lots of folks in the U.S. enjoyed the fireworks for the Fourth from the ground. That’s how it was meant to be, right? Not so sure anymore. Watch the clip above. A flying drone takes us right into the heart of the spectacle… and the point of view is… spectacular!
Posted in Human Interest, Technology, Videos | Tags: camera drone, fireworks, Fireworks filmed with a drone, flying drone | No Comments »
Technology: Arm-Controlled Flying Drone (Video)
July 5, 2014
Oh yeah! Another superpower (telekinesis or at least make someone a gadget master). Sci-fiction now science fact. Future tech is here now. Next generation piloting via Bluetooth 4.0 from Thalmic Labs. The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 in the demo above precisely follows each movement of the pilot’s arm or wrist (wearing the arm band)!
Cool. Very cool.
Posted in Technology, Videos | Tags: AR.Drone 2.0, Parrot, Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, Thalmic Myo, Thalmic Myo armband | 1 Comment »
Technology: Boeing Is Building America’s First Space Taxi (Video)
June 30, 2014
Boeing is actually doing it y’all! America’s first space taxi. The video above covers design aspects, features simulations and explanations, and boasts that its taxi drivers (e.g. mini shuttle pilots) can be trained and ready to go in 9 months. Smaller, lighter vehicles. Private space flights. In two decades’ time it will be like catching a cab here and now. Of course, first flights will probably cost a good grip… but the price should get manageable enough to put on your bucket list soon enough after.
(Good. Let ’em work out the bugs on rich folk. Ha!)
– @ojones1
Posted in Technology, Videos | Tags: Boeing, Boeing Unveils America's First Space Taxi, Space Taxi, Unlocks Possibilities for Future | No Comments »
Technology: AirDog, A Personal Quadcopter Camcorder System (Video)
June 18, 2014
95% funded on Kickstarter. This is happening!
AirDog is a personal quadcopter camcorder system designed to automatically follow and film users with a GoPro camera. The AirDog system includes the quadcopter, an AirLeash wireless device used by the quadcopter to track users, a device used to stabilize any attached GoPro camera, software and other enabling technologies (including an optional smartphone app to manually control the quadcopter). The designers’ vision is that the AirDog be used to better record extreme sports.
Why confine yourself to stationary videos, or ground-level perspective? The AirDog takes things to a whole new level!
Check out the video. Exciting visuals, with angles akin to what you would get on television broadcasts.
MORE: AIRDOG (KICKSTARTER)
Technology: Boeing Is Trying To S.A.V.E. Energy On Formation Flights Like The Birds Do (Video)
June 16, 2014
Birds flying in formation is a wonder to watch; but the birds don’t do it for you. They save energy flying that way. Boeing’s engineers know that. By getting their ducks in order (e.g. flying in a particular formation) – employing advances in flight software and technique (by Surfing Aircraft Vortices for Energy, or S.A.V.E.) – they channel flying flocks’ methodology. So doing, Boeing has been able to prove it can save 5% to 10% on the fuel it burns on flights. Over 10 flights, it’d seem you’ve pretty much saved enough for an 11th. Nothing to sneeze at…even if you are allergic to feathers. Interesting clip. Watch.
– @ojones1
Posted in Business, Science, Technology, Videos | Tags: Boeing, Boeing Formation Flight, S.A.V.E., SAVE, Saving Energy Like Birds Do, Surfing Aircraft Vortices for Energy | No Comments »
VICE: How To Hack A Car (Video)
June 5, 2014
Really? The damn cars are under attack? Wow. We’re not talking ‘Transformers’ here. Vehicles (probably like yours) are vulnerable to cyber attack…now! VICE brings us the story (via Motherboard).
In this episode of Phreaked Out…Information security researcher Mathew Solnik gave us a first-hand demonstration on how to wirelessly send commands to a car and remotely tell it what to do. With a little over a grand and about a month of work, Solnik found time outside of his full-time job to reverse-engineer a car’s computer system to make it ready for a takeover.
MORE: HOW TO HACK A CAR (VICE)
Posted in Series, Technology, Videos | Tags: hacking, hacking cars, hacking vehicles, Mathew Solnik, MOTHERBOARD, Phreaked Out, VICE | No Comments »
Science/Technology: 7 Superpowers You Can Have Right Now (Video)
June 4, 2014
Yooooo, look at dude’s eye!! Okay…
Human flight, Wolverine claws, cloaking ability (invisibility), mind-reading… Maaann… We post on superpowers (enabled by tech, and in movies) all the time. So, when I come across a gem online, that talks about ‘Superpowers You Can Have Today,’ what do you think I’m going to do.
You #&%damn right I’m posting video. Watch and enjoy THOROUGHLY! Love how they rock out at the end.
– @ojones1
Posted in Science, Science Fiction (Sci-Fi), Technology, Videos | Tags: 7 Superpowers You Can Have Right Now, Superpowers, YouTube Nation | 1 Comment »
Science/Technology: Beaming Power To Microimplants Deep Inside The Body (Video)
May 26, 2014
Electrical engineer Ada Poon has invented a way to wirelessly transfer power deep inside the body. The technology could provide a path toward new medical devices.
– Stanford University
Mark Ronson TED Talks About Sampling (Video)
May 23, 2014
How apropos for Hip-Hop Appreciation Week! Producer Mark Ronson shows and proves… lectures and moves the crowd at TED with his sampling/mixing demo and talk about the history of such. A very enlightening way to spend 15 minutes; learning from a musical scholar!
Posted in Education, Hip-Hop, History, Performance, Producers, Series, Technology, Videos | Tags: Mark Ronson, TED, Ted Talk | No Comments »
Sci-Fi/Technology: Colin Furze Make His Own ‘Wolverine Claws’ (Video)
May 21, 2014
Apparently, Colin Furze is this edgy do-it-yourselfer who puts out videos. ‘So, what makes him so different’ is what you’re asking, right? F##K THAT! Dude made his own Wolverine claws!!! They pop out, slash, retract…everything!
The first ever fully automatic wolverine claws that deploy AND retact automaticlly. These beuatiful 12″ stainless steel claws fire out at the touch of a button and bring me as close as anyone has to feeling like they have adamantium claws. I think these are best on the net so hope you like em.
– Colin Furze
Dopeness! Watch and ‘Marvel’ at it. Cool thing is, Colin is promising more X-Men themed DIY vids!
– @ojones1
Posted in Science Fiction (Sci-Fi), Series, Technology, Videos | Tags: CLAWS, Colin Furze, Wolverine, X-Men | No Comments »
Smart Technology: A Solar-Powered ‘Liter Of Light’ (Video)
May 15, 2014
“It is possible to do this without being an electronic engineer.”
Two things the less fortunate among us can appreciate, master and share… to make a lot from a little AND to make treasure out of what we’d call trash. Magnifying a bit of solar light bright enough to light a room at night… a little to a liter… using a plastic bottle otherwise destined for a landfill.
The low-tech technology that enables this is refined constantly. Practitioners build some, use them, improve the design, and build better ones. See a how-to video of one of the latest versions for a basic ‘Liter of Light’ after the jump. Awesome stuff!
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Technology, Videos | Tags: Liter Of Light, OFF GRID, OFF GRID LIGHTING, solar, Solar Bottle Bulb, Solar-Powered | No Comments »
Education: Math RAPS Is Music To Parents’ Ears. Helps Kids With Their Arithmetic (Software)
May 10, 2014
Ah… Saturday. The kids, the tube, maybe a trip to the park and Mickey D’s on the way back home. Lots of wonderful nothing to do on the weekend. You love ’em, and that’s what you’re supposed to do over a weekend. Prime family time. But how are your babies doing in math though? Those prime numbers and such? Have they hit that ‘new math’ that you cannot even help them with yet? Composite numbers, factors… It can get intimidating. It’s okay, we got you. Explore the unfamiliar terrain with a familiar vehicle…Hip-Hop (that’s right)!
Seriously, there’s a rap app (featuring Dr. Pi) that tutors pupils in math! And before you ask, it’s FREE (bet that adds up, right?). Hit up the App store and get a copy today. Monday’s coming (and that math homework won’t do itself).
DOWNLOAD: MATH RAPS IN THE APP STORE ON ITUNES
– @ojones1
Posted in Education, Technology | Tags: App, Donald Elder, ITUNES, Jerri Elder, Math, MATH TUTORING | No Comments »
Technology: Building 10 Houses In One Day With A Giant 3D Printer (Video)
May 8, 2014
This could upend the housing industry on the whole… including the housing finance industry. Imagine the possibilities for affordable homes if single-story, one-room houses can be built for less than $5,000…in less than a day’s time! If only we had this pre-2008. Cheap housing. Little or no financing needed. Maybe no market meltdown, because there’d be waaay fewer crazy mortgages floated by irresponsible bankers (or buyers/sellers)… wow! Okay, okay. The 3D-printer tech used to accomplish this is incredibly cool, too.
Of course, this will still mean another manufacturing industry score for China over the U.S. (e.g. still leaving America a country of consumers instead of producers); but let’s table that rant for now. This is awesome tech!
Posted in Business, Technology, Videos | Tags: 3D printer, affordable housing, Giant 3D Printer, modern housing construction | No Comments »
Technology: Want Some Chips? You Don’t Need Money. Just Swipe ‘Em (Video)
April 28, 2014
One day, it’s Monday. Tough enough already, right? And damn if you didn’t leave your lunch on the counter. It’s okay. Just get a bag of chips from the break room vending machine. No change? No problem…if they get PayRange where you work.
“Click to open the app, swipe-to-pay, enjoy. It couldn’t be more simple.”
– PayRange
Cool, huh? Watch the clip above. I peeped this in Businessweek.
– @ojones1
READ: PAYRANGE (BUSINESSWEEK)
Cover Story: 15-Year-Old DJ Focus Built A Radio Station From Scraps And His Message Has Reached MIT And The World (Video)
March 11, 2014
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But in this youth’s hands, it’s an opportunity to create something incredible!
15-Year-Old Kelvin Doe is an engineering whiz living in Sierra Leone who scours the trash bins for spare parts, which he uses to build batteries, generators and transmitters. Completely self-taught, Kelvin has created his own radio station where he broadcasts news and plays music under the moniker, DJ Focus.
David Sengeh, an MIT student and fellow native of Sierra Leone, met Kelvin in a Summer Innovation Program he ran there. His heart and mind, Kelvin’s heart and mind… and this story… will touch and inspire you. Guaranteed!
Posted in Cover Story, Education, Human Interest, Radio, Science, Series, Technology, Travel, Videos, Youth | Tags: David Sengeh, DJ Focus, Kelvin Doe, MIT, SIERRA LEONE, Thinkr | No Comments »
