Computers
Wooden-bodied computer claimed to be much greener than a regular PC
We have seen wooden-framed computers before, although those have generally been off-the-shelf machines that have simply received a steampunk makeover. A team of engineers from Ireland’s MicroPro Computers and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have gone considerably farther, however. Their wood-bodied iameco (“I am eco”) v3 touchscreen computer reportedly has 70 percent less carbon footprint than a regular desktop PC with a monitor. Read More
Bioengineers at Imperial College, London have developed a new computer controller for paraplegics that is not only more accurate and easier to use than current methods, but also uses inexpensive, off-the-shelf components. The GT3D device uses a pair of eyeglass frames with two fast video game console cameras costing less than UKP20 (US$30) each, which scan the wearer’s eyes from outside the field of vision and provide “3D” control at much lower costs and without invasive surgery. Read More
After 30 years of service, France’s Minitel information service is shutting down for good. Launched in 1982 by the French state telephone company Poste, Téléphone et Télécommunications (PTT), which later became France Télécom, it was France’s answer to the World Wide Web before the Web was even created. However, despite remarkable initial success, it proved unable to compete with the modern internet and on June 30, 2012 it will be switched off. Read More
Although they’ve been around for decades, the all-in-one form factor has really been embraced by PC manufacturers in recent years. On the back of recent releases from the likes of HP, Dell and Sony, Vizio, a company better known for producing TVs, has joined the party with a couple of all-in-one units in 24- and 27-inch screen sizes that mark the company's entry into the PC market. Read More
When space is at a premium or you're just not a big fan of cable clutter, there's nothing quite as attractive as an all-in-one desktop computer and, as we discovered when reviewing HP's Omni 27 model recently, bigger is most assuredly beautiful. Dell's latest slim and stylish addition to its premium XPS family is also its largest ever all-in-one computer. The XPS One 27 features the latest third generation Intel Core processors, HDD or SSD/HDD hybrid storage options and boasts some impressive built-in audio capabilities, too. Read More
As I discovered when reviewing the Minty Geek Electronics Lab a while back, experimenting with circuit building can be a great deal of fun. There was one particular project in this kit that made use of the human body to complete a circuit, with a simple lie detector test being the end result. With their Makey Makey open source hardware project, Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum have taken such touch interaction to a much more entertaining and inventive degree. Everyday objects like bananas, coins, and even Play-Doh can be transformed into a computer keyboard key or mouse click to control onscreen gaming action, play software-based instruments or type out short messages. Read More
We've seen the wacky homebrew projects of computer hardware hacker Mike Schropp before. Mindful Gizmag readers may recall his triple quad-core i7 LEGO PC housing that we looked at last July. But his latest project, the "Bio Computer," is rather more oddball, taking a turn distinctly towards the horticultural with a PC case adapted to ... grow wheatgrass. Read More
Welcome news, finally, for the Raspberry Pi-watchers out there. Having previously predicted a March launch, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has finally announced that batches of the US$25 Linux computer are finally being delivered to customers. Read More
Japan team creates world's first "crab computer"
Wouldn't your latest generation tablet be way cooler if it ran on live crabs? Thanks to Yukio-Pegio Gunji and his team at Japan’s Kobe University, the era of crab computing is upon us ... well, sort of. The scientists have exploited the natural behavior of soldier crabs to design and build logic gates - the most basic components of an analogue computer. They may not be as compact as more conventional computers, but crab computers are certainly much more fun to watch. Read More
A significant step on the path to quantum computing has been taken by an international team of researchers applying a 22-year old theory. They have succeeded in creating quantum bits within a semiconductor for the very first time. Read More
