Researchers at the University of Minnesota have done away with all that tedious joystick work by developing a mind-controlled quadcopter. It may seem like the top item of next year’s Christmas list, but it also serves a very practical purpose. Using a skullcap fitted with a Brain Computer Interface (BCI), the University's College of Science and Engineering hopes to develop ways for people suffering from paralysis or neurodegenerative diseases to employ thought to control wheelchairs and other devices. Read More
It has the Corvette and it has the Camaro, but since slicing Pontiac back in 2010, GM has lacked a non-premium rear-drive performance sedan in that same vein. The 2009 Pontiac G8, particularly the LS3 V8-powered GXP version, was the last car to fill that niche. The all-new Chevy SS puts the rear-drive performance sedan back in General Motors. Read More
We're all familiar with the smartphone rivalry between Apple and Samsung. And though the two companies also sell competing tablets, things aren't quite the same on that end. Apple's iPad is still firmly planted in the driver's seat: in terms of sales, brand recognition, and critical reception. Maybe part of that can be chalked up to the fact that Samsung's Galaxy Tabs, unlike its Galaxy S smartphones, are all decidedly mid-range. Let's find out just how mid-range, as we compare the specs (and other features) of the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 and 4th-generation iPad. Read More
“Quick, send in the robots!” Far-fetched as it may sound, fire-fighting robots are indeed coming closer and closer to common use. While some of them are intended to actually put out the flames, others are designed more to scout out structures before human firefighters enter, letting those people know how to safely get around and where to concentrate their efforts. One of the latest machines in the second category is the self-balancing Firefighting Robot (FFR), being developed at the University of California, San Diego. Read More
Detecting bombs in places such as airports could be getting easier, thanks to a new fluorescing polymer. While you might expect the material to glow in the presence of explosives, they actually cause it to stop glowing. Read More
Toshiba has announced three new additions to its Excite range of Android tablets, two of which beat the Retina iPad and rival the Nexus 10 in terms of display resolution. All three run Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and will hit Toshiba's online store on June 25, ahead of more widespread availability from July 7. Read More
Teams vying for a spot in the historic DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) must first prove themselves in the Virtual Robotics Challenge (VRC) later this month. The VRC digitally simulates the physical challenges slated to take place at the tail end of the year, where real robots will get down and dirty for the first time. A total of 26 teams qualified to take part in the VRC, but only eight of them will earn the privilege of working with their very own ATLAS humanoid. Others will participate with their own unique robots. Read More
Chandeliers can be pretty classy if they’re done right, but they can also take up a lot of space and gather a lot of dust. What someone should do is make a tiny chandelier, and encase it in a light bulb-like globe. Well, wouldn’t ya know it, that’s just what UK designers Brendan Young and Vanessa Battaglia did – and you can buy one, if you’ve got the cash. Read More
There has been a trend of late towards standing desks, borne out of the very real notion that sitting down for long periods of time is bad for your health. The problem is that standing desks don't suit everyone, and can in fact cause bad backs, sore feet, and varicose veins if not used correctly. One solution may be to aim for somewhere betwixt sitting and standing, which is where the Standing Task Chair may prove its worth. Read More
Mood Map is an art exhibit created by New York-based E/B Office that expresses the mood of the South Korean populace by analyzing their tweets. The data is visualized through six fiber optic lights located on the roof of the Data Curation section of the Museum of Art, at Seoul National University. Read More
