The aim of the Hackable Instruments project is to
create instruments that can be easily tweaked by the player to find
interesting new directions for producing flavorsome tones, without any
specialist knowledge of electronics or engineering, while also aiding in
the development of distinctive playing styles. Project members Andrew
McPherson and Victor Zappi have designed and built a deliberately simple
instrument that produces sounds when a player's fingers touch, slide or
tap a capacitive sensing strip on one of the wooden cube's faces. Read More
German robotics manufacturer Kuka
has arranged a table tennis contest between one of its robots and former
world number one Timo Boll. The showdown will take place on March 11.
Read More Bad moon rising: Astronomers explain "full moon curse"
By Brian Dodson
February 16, 2014
The full moon has long been associated with any
number of superstitions. While links with lunacy, violence, fertility,
disasters, and the stock market have been thoroughly debunked, the
possibility of a causative role in some arenas still remains a
possibility. A lunar ranging study carried out using reflectors has
long contended with the "Full-Moon Curse," a near-total fading of
reflected signals during the full Moon. This Curse is real, and has now
been explained. Read More
NASA has solved the mystery of the "Martian jelly
doughnut." First seen by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on
January 8, the 1.5-in wide, white-rimmed, red-centered rock that
resembles a piece of pastry seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but the
space agency now says that it's actually a rock fragment dislodged by
the rover's passing. Read More
FAB Velo: The DIY velomobile made from upcycled materials
February 16, 2014
Industrial Design lecturer Mark Richardson, from
Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, has created a velomobile
prototype made from salvaged materials, a few off-the-shelf parts and
modular 3D printed components. Dubbed FAB Velo, the open source project
features a modular design that was developed with the aim of enabling
users to build their own velomobile. Read More
A few months ago, we sat down to compare the top e-readers
released in the past year and find out which would work best for our
avid readers out there. Naturally, the latest Kindles and Nooks scored
high marks, but surprisingly the one device that stood out was the Kobo Aura HD.
Kobo isn't exactly the first name that comes to mind when people think
of e-readers, but after spending some extensive hands-on time with the
Aura HD, we see an argument for that to change. Read More
Harvard researchers create termite-inspired robot builders
By Anthony Wood
February 16, 2014
Researchers at Harvard University have taken
inspiration from the swarm construction method used by termites to
create TERMES. These robots are intended as the first step in a project
with the ultimate goal of creating a fully automated robotic workforce
that can create complex structures without the need for centralized
control. Read More
For some time now, Sony has been offering some of
the more underrated Android phones around, led by the water-resistant Sony Xperia Z1.
The latest addition to the line is the Xperia Z1 Compact with its
4.3-inch display, which has begun to show up in Europe and unlocked on
eBay after being introduced at CES 2014 in Las Vegas. Read More
PowerShot G1 X Mark II heads Canon's compact camera line-up
By Simon Crisp
February 15, 2014
The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is the latest
flagship compact camera from Canon, and with a 1.5-inch type sensor, a
24-120mm F2.0-F3.9 lens and built-in Wi-Fi, it could be the firm's best
yet. Other new Powershot cameras include the rugged PowerShot D30 and
the slim 30x zoom PowerShot SX700 HS. Read More
In the southeast United States, snow storms are
as about as common as canoes on Mount Everest, which is what makes the
current task of digging the region out from under the recent deposit of
the white stuff so irksome. To aid the inexperienced snow shoveler,
SuperDroid of Raleigh, North Carolina is selling a remote-controlled
robotic snow plow that allows you to clear the drive while sitting where
it’s warm with a cup of cocoa. Read More
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