Archive for March 27th, 2006
Voltron “V-Day” Countdown
Voltron.com
"The official Voltron website has added a mysterious countdown to their website. Is Voltron finally coming to DVD? Are we going to get more info on the Voltron movie? Or is it going to be another lame site relaunch?"
Al-Qaeda Hacker Caught
Straight from Slashdot: "The Washington Post is carrying a story on a young man suspected to be the al-Qaeda hacker 'Irhabi 007'. From the article: 'Celebrated for his computer expertise, Irhabi 007 had propelled the jihadists into a 21st-century offensive through his ability to covertly and securely disseminate manuals of weaponry, videos of insurgent feats such as beheadings and other inflammatory material… The Internet has presented investigators with an extraordinary challenge. But our future security is going to depend increasingly on identifying and catching the shadowy figures who exist primarily in the elusive online world."
Cablevision to rollout remote-storage DVR service
Straight from Engadget: "Cablevision's apparently testing a time-shifted "remote-storage" DVR service so you can get the TiVo-effect without the TiVo, so to speak — no one would have to touch their cable box or equipment to use a DVR, and it would cost less, they claim, than the current $9.95 they charge for DVR box rental."
Apple Store – Glass Staircases
Apple Store – Glass Staircase
"A unique and eye-catching feature of Apple's high-profile stores is the glass staircase. The stair design was patented by a team of designers and engineers that was led by Steve Jobs himself."
Pimpstar LED Car Rims
Straight from Gizmodo: "These Pimpstar rims are programmable using a Wi-Fi equipped laptop and can display images as you roll down the street. The LEDs are full color so there is no limit to what you can display on them, and the software allows you to rotate through a series of six different images per wheel. The wheels are carwash-safe and run from the car’s power to spare you the embarrassment of running out of battery in the middle of your flashing light display. The wireless technology begs to be hacked and since these are destined to go on the uber-SUVs, we recommend replacing “Low Ridah” with images that say “Losah.”"
Worlds smallest RC helicopter, the Picoflyer
"The 60 mm rotor diameter, 3.3 grams Picoflyer is the smallest size electric powered contra-rotating coaxial-rotor RC helicopter ever built. It is battery powered and it uses the Proxflyer concept to give it inherent stability."
U.S. Planning Base on Moon To Prepare for Trip to Mars
U.S. Planning Base on Moon To Prepare for Trip to Mars
Straight from Slashdot: "The US is planning to build a permanent lunar base which will support future visits to Mars. The living conditions on the moon presents a variety of challenges from medical to construction. Contingency planning would be critical but some feel the challenges presented on the moon will be less than Mars. The moon is closer to Earth, the atmosphere is less harsh and, unlike Mars, water does not exist. Is this the start of the next space race?"
Programmable Liquid Container lets you customize your cola
Straight from Engadget: "Massachusetts-based IPIFINI (the bold is part of the branding) has exceeded our wildest dreams with their Programmable Liquid Container, which contains small, flavor additive-filled (or paint-filled, for the home improvement set) "buttons" around the periphery of the plastic container. Consumers press the appropriate buttons to create different flavors from a common base, such as cherry vanilla cola or raspberry tangerine lemonade, or get even wilder with aroma and food coloring options."
RAYERD-X busts crazy Transformer moves
Straight from Engadget: "Man, if we'd had Transformers like this when we were kids, we'd be, well, even geekier and more socially awkward than we already are. As you well know, it takes a pretty special robot to catch our attention around here, and Japanese manufacturer Asurada's RAYERD-X (pronounced, apparently — no "Engrish" jokes please — Layered-X) did just that with crazy contortionist moves that would make even the most flexible gymnast wince in pain."
Exceptional Innovation shows off Media Center distributed audio
Straight from Engadget: "Got a Media Center PC, but don't feel like you're getting the most from it? Streaming loads of video around the house but wondering why you've still got to drop more coin on a Sonos or custom rig for a better audio streaming experience? Well, Exceptional Innovation wants to see you through this one with their forthcoming release of Life|ware (which apparently will be snown off at the Electronic House Expo), that is supposed to allow for proper third party bidirectional control and Media Center metadata transfer for multi-zoned streaming home audio on cheap touchscreen panels."
Moonquakes Surprisingly Common
"Why are there so many moonquakes? A recent reanalysis of seismometers left on the moon by the Apollo moon landings has revealed a surprising number of moonquakes occurring within 30 kilometers of the surface. In fact, 28 moonquakes were detected in data recorded between 1972 and 1977. These moonquakes were not only strong enough to move furniture but the stiff rock of the moon continued vibrating for many minutes, significantly longer than the soft rockearthquakes on Earth. The cause of the moonquakes remains unknown, with one hypothesis holding that landslides in craters cause the vibrations. Regardless of the source, future moon buildings need to be built to withstand the frequent shakings. Pictured above in 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands besides a recently deployed lunar seismometer, looking back toward the lunar landing module."
