Category: Science & Technology

ThinkGeek Welcomes Our New Computer Overlords

from ThinkGeek:

Ready to party like a cosmonaut?

Yuri’s Night, the anniversary of human space flight, is coming up on April 12th and it’s a doozy — this year it’s the big 5-0. Ready the vacuum-packed hors d’oeuvres and orbiting disco ball!

It’s only appropriate that this email includes 4 delicious new edibles, a breakthrough in snacking vessel technology, and 3 science-related items. If you like science or eating (and we know you do) you’ll love the new stuff!

FREE SHIRT with $15 purchase!
Welcome your new computer overlords! It’s elementary, Watson! Spend $15 or more and we’ll throw in an awesome t-shirt for free. It’s a quote from trivia champion Ken Jennings, when he admitted defeat by a certain computer. Supplies are limited, so buzz in quick if you want one!

The ThinkGeek 3-D Giveaway — Win a Virtual Boy… & $1,000 Spree
Not satisfied with 3-D movies, 3-D televisions, and 3-D mobile phones? We have just the gaming console for you. Enter today to win a Nintendo Virtual Boy, circa 1995, complete with box and 4 mind-altering games. Oh, and you’ll win a $1,000 Shopping Spree, too, but that experience will be entirely 2-dimensional. The runner up will win the just-released (and surely destined for greatness) Nintendo 3DS. The future is now!

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

Nintendo 3DS Changes the Way You View Portable Entertainment

from Nintendo of Canada:

Nintendo introduces portable entertainment in 3D — without the need for special glasses. The Nintendo 3DS system goes on sale in Canada on March 27 at a suggested retail price of $249.99. It comes with a collection of pre-installed games and fun features, with more on the way.

“Nintendo 3DS can play 3D video games and take 3D pictures, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Nintendo of America President, Reggie Fils-Aime. “The 3D display is amazing in its own right, but just as compelling are the new forms of gameplay it delivers, and the groundbreaking ways it will connect players to new content… and each other.”

To celebrate the arrival of the system, Nintendo is hosting launch events in Toronto and Vancouver on March 26 from 6 PM to 12 midnight. The events will feature hands-on Nintendo 3DS demos with food, music and giveaways (while supplies last), leading up to a countdown to midnight, when the Nintendo 3DS system goes on sale. Fans can visit nintendo.com/3ds/events/canadian-events/ for more information on the launch events as well as the Nintendo 3DS sampling tour.

Nintendo 3DS has 18 games available on launch day, with more than 30 total available by early June. Nintendo-published games available March 27 include:

Pilotwings Resort, a high-flying aerial adventure that lets you soar over a tropical island in a plane, on a hang glider or with a rocket belt. You can take on more than 30 challenging missions, or go sightseeing and snap pictures in the game.

nintendogs + cats, which lets you train and interact with your very own puppy and kitten. They react to your voice and will even welcome you with a lick of the face as you lean in. There are three different versions of the software, each featuring a different starting breed: Toy Poodle, Golden Retriever or French Bulldog. In each version, players can eventually unlock all 27 different breeds to enjoy.

Steel Diver, an action-packed and immersive 3D submarine combat adventure. Take command of your sub to control its speed, depth and pitch, and use both the touch-screen and motion-sensitive controls to navigate through lush undersea environments and fire torpedoes at enemy ships and obstacles.

Nintendo’s third-party publishing partners are rolling out their biggest names for launch day. Games ready for March 27 include Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition from Capcom, The Sims 3 from EA, Madden NFL Football from EA Sports, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars from LucasArts, Ridge Racer 3D from Namco Bandai Games America Inc., Super Monkey Ball 3D from Sega, Bust-a-Move Universe from Square-Enix, Inc., Samurai Warriors: Chronicles from Tecmo Koei America Corp., plus Asphalt 3D, Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D, Rayman 3D and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars from Ubisoft.

Meanwhile, Nintendo is working on Nintendo 3DS games from its top franchises, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and new installments in the Super Mario, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Paper Mario series. The system is also ready to play nearly every single Nintendo DS game with its original 2D graphics. Nintendo DS games that required the use of the Game Boy Advance slot are not compatible with the Nintendo 3DS system.

Nintendo 3DS features two screens. The top screen displays 3D images without the need for special glasses. The bottom screen is touch-sensitive. It also has three cameras. One inner camera points at you, while two exterior cameras let you take pictures of your friends and family in 3D or 2D. It weighs approximately 8 ounces and is available in Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue.

Built-in games and applications include Mii Maker, which uses facial recognition technology to create a Mii character that looks just like you; Face Raiders, which requires you to shoot at comical depictions of your own face as well as others around you; AR Games, which superimpose graphics and animations on the real world using the included AR Cards; and Nintendo 3DS Sound, which lets you listen to MP3 or AAC music files, or make your own recordings and play with them using fun filters. The StreetPass feature lets some of your games and applications wirelessly swap small bits of game data as you pass other Nintendo 3DS users throughout the day, if you choose. SpotPass, on the other hand, lets the Nintendo 3DS system detect wireless hotspots or wireless LAN access points and allows users to obtain information and game data when the system is in Sleep Mode. Free software and videos will also become available with future system updates.

Soon Nintendo will roll out a series of additional features for Nintendo 3DS, including an Internet browser, an online store called Nintendo eShop, and the ability to access 3D Hollywood movie trailers.

Remember that the Nintendo 3DS system features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit nintendo3ds.com.

A Functional Jetpack – Without Jets!

from GeekChicDaily:

Up until recently there were limited ways that a person could fly. They could get in an airplane. They could be born on Krypton. They could glue feathers to their arms and then jump off a building. (Note: this last technique worked only for people who also happened to be born on Krypton.)

But now there is a new path to the sky: The Jetlev Flyer. Attaching to your back like a jet pack, but far less likely to explode, the Jetlev Flyer rockets you into the air not with flame, but water. Think of it as strapping twin fire hoses to your back, then riding the recoil. Obviously, this technique requires a tremendous amount of liquid, so a giant hose tethers you to a floating unit on the water’s surface that pumps up the H2O. This system allows for plenty of fuel, which means you can fly for roughly two hours at cruising speed, or for a little over an hour with the throttle wide open.

Even with the tether, you get a legit flight experience. The Jetlev allows you to soar up to 30 feet in the air, while the fly-by-wire steering system lets you travel anywhere you want to go — assuming you only want to go places that are above water. As per usual, cool new technology doesn’t come cheap; each one costs about a hundred grand… but we gotta think you could recoup that investment pretty quick with a nice little rental biz in Hawaii.

So go strap one to your back and pretend you’re the Rocketeer. (Just don’t wear the Rocketeer’s clunky metal helmet… unless you can fit a scuba mask underneath.)

ThinkGeek’s Tablet Joystick Puts “Blinky” on Notice

from ThinkGeek:

Bon voyage, space cadets!

While NASA scientists prep space shuttle Discovery for her final launch at 4:50pm ET on February 24, we’re packing our bags for our annual getaway this week. We’ve been told it’s a cruise but Timmy just had his space suit pressed, and there’s definitely something fishy about the timing. Either way, we’re bringing freeze-dried shelf-stable margarita mix for the trip.

But don’t worry — even if we’re ISS-bound, we’ll still have monkeys at home to take questions and calls. And we’ve got plenty of new stuff so you can distract yourself with shiny things until we return.

Joystick-It!
Be a mobile gaming god with our solid milled aluminum Joystick-it! Arcade-style games on capacitive touchscreen devices — yes, even Android — are more fun with a real, physical joystick for increased precision and faster response times. Removable and repositionable, it works with thousands of different games, will not harm your screen, and no wires or batteries are necessary.

Take $10 off $40+ orders — If you <3 NASA, we <3 you
We’re really hoping that by some stroke of luck we can see the shuttle launch from our cruise ship on February 24th. It won’t be the same as being at the Kennedy Space Center, but we’ll take whatever glimpse we can get! And even if you can’t be there either, you can use code STS133 for $10 off $40+ orders good through 11:59pm ET 2/25/2011.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

A.D. After Disclosure

A.D. After Disclosure: The People’s Guide to Life After Contact is a new book about what happens after the powers-that-be acknowledge ET/UFO reality. Written by Richard Dolan and Bryce Zabel, it is a work of speculative non-fiction, published by Keyhole Publishing. The trailer is set to the tune of “Need-to-Know: The UFO Disclosure Song” by Cherish Alexander.

Downloading Dinner – The 3-D Food Printer

from GeekChicDaily:

“Tea. Earl Gray. Hot.” Few of us can order up food or beverages as compellingly as Captain Picard — and we refer not just to his authoritative English accent, but also the way in which his order is instantly prepared by machine as if out of thin air.

While a gadget like Star Trek’s replicator would be nice to have (especially on snow days in college), spontaneous molecular food creation is probably not in our immediate future. But the new 3-D Food Printer being developed at Cornell University’s Computational Synthesis Laboratory may soon allow you to literally download the perfect cup of tea (or an outstandingly gooey nacho sauce, we hope).

Basically, imagine a device that functions like a printer. However, instead of ink cartridges, you insert fresh ingredients. The machine processes the foodstuffs into nutritious goop and prints out food in three dimensions, using downloaded recipes. It’s not quite the Star Trek technology of drawing molecules from the air and reshaping them, but it’s still cool. We envision the first-gen tech in this field will allow you to make custom-molded cookies, breads, or cupcakes that cook in wacked out shapes.

Current proofs of concept include flourishes like letters baked inside cakes, and little edible space shuttles. Unfortunately for would-be Picards, Cornell has yet to come up with a machine that prints realistic hairpieces. That’ll probably come in this culinary technology’s, y’know… Next Generation.

Nintendo 3DS Brings a Dimensional Shift to the World of Entertainment on March 27

from Nintendo of Canada:

The company that changed the world of video games with touch-screen gaming in 2004 and motion-controlled gaming in 2006 now pioneers the next dimensional shift. On March 27, Nintendo introduces portable entertainment in 3D — without the need for special glasses. The Nintendo 3DS system will be available in either Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue, and will have a suggested retail price of $249.99.

“Nintendo 3DS is a category of one — the experience simply doesn’t exist anywhere else,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “You have to see Nintendo 3DS to believe it. And it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”

Nintendo 3DS includes two screens. The bottom touch screen makes use of a telescoping stylus that is stored in the unit itself. The top screen displays 3D visuals to the naked eye. Looking at the screen is like peering through a window into a world where characters and objects have true depth. The system also has a 3D Depth Slider that lets players select the level of 3D they enjoy the most. The 3D effect can be ratcheted up to the highest level, scaled back to a more moderate setting or even turned off completely, depending on the preference of the user.

In addition to the familiar + Control Pad and button controls found on previous Nintendo hand-helds, Nintendo 3DS now also includes a Circle Pad, which provides a full 360 degrees of direction, giving it the freedom and precision needed to play games in 3D worlds. It brings the same degree of responsiveness that gamers enjoyed when Nintendo introduced an analog control stick to navigate Mario through Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64 system.

A built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor can react to the motion and tilt of the system, so whether players are twisting their systems side to side or moving them up and down, their motion-compatible Nintendo 3DS games respond instantly. No other system includes so many tools for game developers to create new and fun experiences for players.

Two features will allow owners to stay connected in new ways. Both deliver bonus content to owners as they move around during their daily lives, so users might open up their systems at any moment to find new surprises. For owners who choose to activate it, the StreetPass feature is capable of exchanging game information with other Nintendo 3DS systems as owners pass one another. Small packets of information can be exchanged using this data-transfer method, such as Mii character data, maps for games or high scores and custom character data for different games. The SpotPass feature can connect to compatible public hotspots and through a wireless broadband Internet connection at home, even if the system is in Sleep Mode. Once connected, the Nintendo 3DS system will receive new content and updates on a regular basis.

Each Nintendo 3DS system comes pre-loaded with a variety of fun games, applications and features, such as Nintendo 3DS Camera. Nintendo 3DS has three cameras. One camera points at the user, while two additional cameras point outward. These two outer cameras take photos in 3D. The fun, built-in game Face Raiders asks users to shoot at funny depictions of their own faces. Nintendo 3DS, when put into Sleep Mode, can act as a pedometer, while letting users earn Play Coins for the steps they take that can then be traded in for additional content in compatible games and applications. By accessing the Activity Log, users can check their steps as well as their play time. With Nintendo 3DS Sound, users can enjoy sound-manipulation tools or rock out while listening to their MP3 or AAC music files. An upgraded Internet browser will also be available via a system update.

The Mii Maker application gives users new tools to create Mii characters even more easily. Users can either import Mii characters from their Wii systems using an SD memory card or use the camera to take a picture of a person and have an automatic Mii character created. Users can even save their Mii characters to an SD card as pictures, which enables them to be used any way a digital photo would for personal use, such as a profile picture on social-networking sites.

The Nintendo eShop, through a system update, will offer access to downloadable games, including Nintendo DSiWare and ones specifically made for Nintendo 3DS. Also, just as the Virtual Console service on Wii makes retro games available for download, the Virtual Console games on Nintendo 3DS will be pulled from classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Players will be able to view game videos, download demos for select games and see how other consumers rated the games. The Nintendo eShop will use a cash-based system. Users can either input credit card information in the shop or purchase a Nintendo 3DS Prepaid Card at retail locations.

Nintendo 3DS comes with six augmented-reality cards, called AR cards. When the two outer cameras are pointed at the cards, they read the cards and superimpose images and animations onto the scene. So users shouldn’t be surprised if they see a dragon popping out of their kitchen tables. Developers can also use this technology to add creative new experiences to their games.

Built-in parental controls can be used to limit Internet access or some of the wireless functions. By using a PIN code, parents also can turn off the 3D function altogether, or limit the ratings of the games that their kids can play.

Fans of online play will be happy to learn that the friend codes for Nintendo 3DS are specific to each Nintendo 3DS system, not each game. Once friends trade hardware codes, at any time they can check their friends list to see which of their friends are online and what they are playing.

Nintendo 3DS can also play Nintendo DS game cards with their original 2D visuals. The system also includes a slot for an SD memory card. To help users get started, every system comes with a 2GB SD memory card (though owners can provide whatever size they like). Using a service that will be provided after the hardware’s launch, Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL owners will be able to transfer games downloaded from the Nintendo DSi Shop onto their new Nintendo 3DS systems.

During the launch window (between the March 27 launch date and the E3 Expo in early June) more than 30 games will be available to Nintendo 3DS owners. These include Nintendo-created games like Pilotwings Resort, which has players soaring acrobatically over iconic Wuhu Island; nintendogs + cats, a new version of the Nintendo DS classic with a feline enhancement; and Steel Diver, a side-scrolling submarine adventure that gives the illusion that the player is peering into an aquarium. Other Nintendo 3DS games in the works include The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and new installments in the Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Paper Mario series.

Nintendo 3DS also enjoys some of the strongest third-party support of any system launch. A partial list of titles coming soon to Nintendo 3DS includes Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked from Atlus; Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D from Capcom; Madden NFL Football from EA SPORTS; The Sims 3 from Electronic Arts; Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami; LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars from LucasArts; Ridge Racer 3D and Dual Pen Sports from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.; Super Monkey Ball 3D, Thor: God of Thunder and CRUSH 3D from SEGA; BUST-A-MOVE UNIVERSE from Square Enix, Inc.; Samurai Warriors Chronicles and Dead or Alive: Dimensions from Tecmo Koei America Corp.; and Asphalt 3D, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D, Rayman 3D and Rabbids: Travel in Time from Ubisoft.

For more information about Nintendo 3DS, visit nintendo3ds.com.

CES 2011: Announcing Batman x MIMOBOT and DC Comics Super Hero Flash Drive Collections!

from Mimoco:

…Announced at CES…

Limited Edition: Vintage Batman X MIMOBOT! Gotham City will never be the same! Get your Limited Edition Vintage Batman MIMOBOT Flash Drive! Shop Now!

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Batman Wave 1 X MIMOBOT: Mimoco, creator of the MIMOBOT line of designer USB flash drives, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment, announce their partnership through a license agreement at the 2011 International CES.

*FREE domestic shipping on ALL MIMOBOT orders over $50! (Excludes Hawaii, Alaska)

A Truly Powerful Device This DROID Is

from StarWars.com:

The limited-edition Star Wars R2-D2 Droid 2 collector’s set is now only $199! Get one for yourself and your favorite scruffy-looking nerf-herder.

Strong is the FORCE in one who commands the R2-D2 Droid 2 collector’s set. You can take on the whole Empire yourself with the powerful device preloaded with extensive content.

Limited Edition Gift Set:

  • R2-D2 Desk Charger
  • Ear buds
  • Interactive wallpapers
  • Feeds, SFX and scenes
  • Apps and games

Get yours now for only $199. Delay and the limited-edition Star Wars Droid 2 collectors set could be put into carbon-freeze forever. To find out more, click here.

Apple iPad Becomes an Icon in the Operating Room

With its attractive screen and networking capabilities, the iPad offers surgeons real-time access to images and patient data during an operation. Integrating it into routine clinical practice can save lives and help bring down the cost of health care. Pioneering surgeons at Georgetown have already made it a key part of their practice with significant improvement in patient care.

from Journal of Surgical Radiology:

As featured in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Surgical Radiology, surgeons at Georgetown have transformed the iPad from an entertainment device into a multimedia platform from which they can access up to date patient data and radiographic images. By making the iPad as essential as a scalpel, they can have this information available at their fingertips during major surgical procedures.

With its attractive screen and networking capabilities, the iPad permits access to x-rays, CT scans, and laboratory data. Real-time access to this critical information makes the iPad “a powerful and flexible computing device [that] will almost certainly play some role in our future everyday practices,” says Dr. Felasfa Wodajo, an orthopedic surgeon at Georgetown University.

Integrating the iPad into a clinical setting virtually eliminates guesswork by busy doctors taking care of dozens of patients. Laboratory data and other key patient information are immediately accessible both on wards and in the operating room. Data can even be captured during surgery and appropriate photographs shared with the patient afterward.

Published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Surgical Radiology, Dr. Wodajo details how he has integrated the iPad into his clinical practice. A sample work flow and helpful pointers on high quality software are included. By decreasing the barriers to integrating technology with clinical care, the outcome can be improved patient safety, higher patient satisfaction, and decreased health care costs.

“The iPad clearly has the potential to be very useful in the hospital and in the operating theater,” says Dr. Wodajo. “The same features which make the iPad great for surfing the web, such as looking at images and viewing video, nicely translate into the operating room.”

“Doctor Who” Sonic Screwdriver Could Become Real Device

from The Telegraph:

Engineers have developed a device that is capable of moving and manipulating objects using only ultrasonic sound waves. They say the technology could eventually lead to devices that can undo screws, assemble electronics and put together delicate components. The news will no doubt delight young fans of Doctor Who who have dreamed of owning a sonic screwdriver of their own after watching their hero use the tool to get himself out of many sticky situations.

But while the Doctor’s device can perform a multitude of tasks from cutting, burning, welding, sending signals, controlling the TARDIS, altering mobile phones and healing wounds, the researchers warn their real life sonic screwdriver will have more limited capabilities.

Professor Bruce Drinkwater, an ultrasonics engineer at the University of Bristol, said: “We have developed a device that allows us to use ultrasonic forces to move small objects like biological cells around to sort them or to assemble them.”

Read the complete article here.