tech planet

Sunday 27 May 2012

MIND CONTROLLED WEAPONS COMING TO A FUTURE NEAR YOU


We have always been captivated by the prospect of weapons that could be fired with just a single thought. No action has to be taken by the soldier or weapons operator, all it would take is for the person to want the weapon to be fired, and it would be done. This may sound like a pipe-dream to some but British scientists believe that this could soon be a possibility. Many of the technologies and components are already in development and such devices will draw heavily on nuero-technology research. Devices and concepts such as brain-computer interfaces will have to be used, which has come against another large hurdle in ethics.

The main issue is that some of these components and technologies will have to stimulate or effect the brain’s inner workings and natural processes and will blur the line between what is human and what is machine. The risks are great but the rewards are even greater, ranging from advancements in the fields of medicine, human enhancement, and of course, warfare. However, some or all of these advancements may require a computer chip to be implemented in human brains which brings up the image of a cyborg. Because of the influence the chip would have on inner brain workings, some people are afraid that those who have the chip implemented into their brains would have a reduced sense of responsibility for their actions, which could lead to horrible consequences. Being able to control weapons of war remotely without having to risk actual human life may also cause people to become insensitive to the horrors of war.
Mind-Controlled-Weapons-Coming-to-a-Future-Near-YouDespite these large ethical issues, this technology, research, and these “thinking-cap” helmets and components will likely continue to advance and may one day be available as consumer or pharmaceutical products with the potential to treat things like Parkinson’s disease, although perhaps at the risk of losing our identity and individualism. Of course, the most interested party in these “thinking-cap” gadgets  is the military. The prospect of having armies being able to mind-control their weapons, perhaps even at a distance, is just too good for organizations like the pentagon to pass on. It could mean remote operating jets and tanks with no need to risk human life in future wars.
Aside from ethical issues, there are also technical problems with these innovations. How do we deal with errant thoughts when wearing these “thinking-caps”? It is unlikely that we could just get rid of the errant thoughts that the users of these devices would have while controlling the weapons. What if the user makes a mistake and tells a tank to shoot in the wrong direction? How will we catch errant thoughts and distinguish them from the real commands that need to be executed? Figuring out these problems can and will prove to be a significant challenge before these gadgets can be used in the field. However, if we can work past both the technical and ethical issues involving these “thinking caps” , it will be a major breakthrough for humanity.
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some cool gadgets


INFO Live is an data organizer for connected internet world. It is able to transfer data information to any hardware and person any moment in time of need.

Jive For The Elderly

Jive is a range of 3 products that were designed to get elderly technophobes connected to their friends and family.

LifeMap

Touch Screen digital photo storing and organization product.

Microsoft Arc Mouse

When you go advanced in all your computer equipments, the next best thing is to get a futuristic mouse.

Pebble Key Port

Designed with many slots so that user can easily group their keys into categories such as car keys, home keys or office keys.

Pixel Perfect Hour Glass

Title says it all. A perfect gadget anyone wants to own, I suppose?

Calliper Style Radio

Like a precision calliper tool, 08 Radio by Mikael Silvanto lets you precisely find the station you want by sliding the entire radio unit up and down the scale.

Sunshine Pillow


We arent sure if it’s warm enough, but it’s good to own one.

New DSLR?


Concept of a digital camera which can be used in one hand.

Virtual Goggles


Designed and conceived by Franz Steiner, he wondered what the personal assistant might look like in the future.

Cellphone Code


Cellphone Code

This phone uses haptic technology to provide physical feedback for making a call. To turn it on…twist a section, to dial a number…twist a bunch of sections, to make an international call…break your wrist!

Napkin PC


he Napkin PC is a multi-user, multi-interface, modular computer designed for creative professionals to collaborate and bring their greatest ideas to life.

Transparent Toaster


Transparent Toaster

This innovative "Transparent Toaster" concept uses special heating glass to warm a single slice of bread. Unfortunately, the glass does not reach a high enough temperature -- at this time -- to actually toast the bread. No word yet on if this concept will go into production. 

Nokia Aeon Full Screen Concept Phone


he most prominent design feature of aeon is a touchscreen that stretches over the full surface area of the phone.

FUTURISTIC GADGETS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND AWAY

About 10 years ago, we didn’t really expect the 1.4mb 3.5 inch floppy to evolve into flash drives 10x smaller with storage capacity as big as 32gb. The interesting thing about technology is; it’s just going to get more and more high-end but the size, is just going to get smaller and slimmer.
These concept gadgets you see before you today, have extremely high chance of getting into production anywhere in the future. For example, Microsoft’s Surface Computing Technology certainly tells us they are for real. Here’s some really cool concept gadgets, just concepts for now but we really hope it’ll be implemented, that inspires. If we happened to missed something impressive, please let us know in comment. Full list after jump.

B-Membrane Laptop/Desktop

Concept computer designed by Korean designer Won-Seok Lee. No bulky monitors, just a UFO shape system that displays screen like a projector.

Sonos SUB Wireless Subwoofer

Tuesday 15 May 2012

A spray gets you drunk instantly for a few seconds


Just yesterday, the next best possible way to give you a quick high was a conventional cigarette. Now, French American scientist David Edwards has come up with a better way to relax your jittery nerves for a few seconds, without burning a chunk of your lungs in the bargain. Called the WA|HH Quantum Sensations spray, this one gets you momentarily drunk for a few seconds, with no after-effects, hangovers or side-effects whatsoever! With the device designed by renowned designer Philippe Starck, this one administers a dose of 0.075 milliliters of alcohol, giving you an instant and momentary high!
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Call of Duty: Black Ops II trailer; the game to surface in November


It’s about time you rekindle your patriotic spirit with Activision’s latest call to arms just around the corner. The newest Call of Duty game, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, a sequel to the highly successful original was announced by the developer who on previous occasions has been known to develop breath-taking and seriously addictive games including the aforementioned Call of Duty franchise. Set in a 21st Century Cold War scenario with new generation warfare technologies reeking all over the place, the game is expected to spell-bind regular and hard-core gamers alike. Up for pre-order, the game will be released on the 13th of November this year on platforms including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. Give the trailer a hit for more!
[BGR]

Ariel and Motion Simulation’s TL1 Simulator leaves you short of space, cash and completely awe-struck

Bang & Olufsen unveils “affordable” BeoPlay V1 priced at $3,232 upwards


And just when we gave up expecting the likes of Bang & Olufsen to ever brandish a reasonable priced TV, the premium electronics manufacturer unveiled this swank new TV. Pocket-friendly and with uncompromised quality and superiority, the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay V1 is priced at £1,999 ($3,232.50) for the 32-inch model and £2,499 ($4,041) for the 40-inch, a tad lower than what its high-priced siblings usually cost. Now though that does still seem like a pocket-burning deal, we’ve kept in mind the fact that this one includes five HDMI inputs, a USB port and is LED side-lit, bragging of a Full HD (1080p) resolution with an effective frequency range of 30-20,000Hz!
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HTC Sprint Evo 4G LTE release date May 18th

HTC is giving their customers plenty of opportunity to rejoice. Topping this is a special upgrade for the One X and now good news for Sprint loyalists. The carrier will soon be seeing the dawn of the Evo 4G LTE that will sport all the features it did in its premier edition with the addition of a microSD card slot, a larger battery and a stand. To show off the new rendition of the device, HTC snapped some cool images to tempt us real good.


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Scare the neighborhood with 8Bar’s glow-in-the-dark bicycle


Looking for a way to wake-up that hidden prankster in you? This bicycle we stumbled across recently is bound to scare the bejeebers out of just about anyone who set their eyes on it in the dark, particularly along pitch-black lonely roads or paths across wooded parks. By 8Bar, these glow-in-the-dark bicycles could pretty much help you spark off a bunch of urban legends of a cycling ghost and first featured in a BlackBerry advertisement. 8Bar will now begin commercially manufacturing these for the public though at a pinching price of $1600 and upwards a pop!
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BMW i8 Concept Spyder has a pull out scooter

bmw-i8-spyder-opt3.jpgWhen it comes to making getting around easier, trust the folks at BMW to come up with exceptionally feasible ways! The i8 Concept Spyder unveiled at Auto China in Beijing recently did grab quite the attention. What caught our eye however was a pair of stand-on scooters packed in the back of the car under a glass panel. Powered by electricity, these scooters enable you to quickly get to your destination, just in case your i8 Spyder gets stuck in a grid-locked street. The scooter, nimble and petite, will get you out of the tightest traffic jams to your destination on time, if your hybrid coupé fails to do so that is!

Angry Bird land opens up in Finland


The Angry Birds rage still seems to be soaring high, with the game developed by Rovio slowly extending its little wings around merchandising deals, a planned movie and now an entire area at a theme park in Finland dedicated to the game. Located in at the Särkänniemi Amusement Park in Tamper in Southern Finland, this area was designed with help from a team from Rovio. Complete with rides on the backs of larger than life Angry Birds, merchandise shops, a fortified pig castle, a play area with soft toys and a bunch of touchscreens scattered around enabling visitors to play their favorite Angry Birds game, the park could very well inspire yet another one of its kind planned for England up ahead.
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World’s fastest toilet clocks 46.6mph piloted by Jolene Van Vugt


oilets are meant to be stationary and a moving toilet simply spells trouble. Well, that’s just how we common folk think however. Clad in a motocross helmet and a protective jacket, Jolene Van Vugt recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records for piloting the world’s fastest toilet! Just why would anyone feel the need to zip around on a toilet, we do not know. What we do know however is that Jolene managed to touch a 46.6mph speed on this motorized porcelain throne! As for Jolene, she’s had her share of riding quick bikes across bumpy terrains and is hailed as the first woman to ever successfully manage a back-flip on a motocross bike. And with this recent entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, she sure deserves a pat on the back, even it means encouraging others to try breaking this benchmark with quicker toilets.
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The loudest bicycle horn honks at 178db making it louder than a jet engine


Bicycles are considered as some of the best ways to travel these days, given the fact that these are inexpensive, use no fuel whatsoever and are silent as a dead bug. What we came across, is a bicycle that simply steps away from anything everything you’d expect a conventional bicycle to be. Seriously loud, hurtfully expensive and tremendously uncomfortable to ride around, this bicycle called the Hornster, a name it easily lives up to, comes with a Scuba tank mounted between the handlebars and the seat.
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White Playstation Vita coming to Japan


Those tired of the conventional black PlayStation Vita now have more to chose from. Sony recently unveiled a Crystal White PlayStation Vita and a limited edition Hatsune Miku themed device. While the white Vita will be made available in both variants, WiFi as well as 3G priced at ¥24,980 and ¥29,980 (approximately $312 and $375), the Hatsune Miku Vita will come with a price tag of ¥10,000 ($125). Also, the latter packs 4GB memory card as an added perk for the pricier device, sporting Vocoloid’s poster-girl on the rear touch-panel. For now, these consoles will show up only in Japan and Sony hasn’t announced a world-wide release of the new colors as of now.
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Texas Central Railroad plans to connect Houston and Fort Worth with Bullet trains

Them good old trains rumbling down the rails through Texas could pretty much sport an upgrade soon, and a hefty one too! The ever ambitious Texas Central Railroad is now drawing up plans to unveil a full-fledged bullet-train by 2020 that’ll use up a good $10 billion funded privately. The train could connect Houston with Fort Worth, travelling at a nerve-wrecking eye-popping 205 miles per hour. With this, the trip is expected to complete in just 90 minutes! Also, this serves as a low-cost alternative to flying, covering the 260-mile route between the two cities as quickly as possible. Also, given that most of the route cuts through rural areas, development costs are comparatively low and as per reports, the move could substantially benefit commuters between the two cities.
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Stan Lee’s character to show up on pre-ordered “The Amazing Spider-Man” game!


Comic book legend Stan Lee’s fans are in for a treat. Those choosing to pre-order the The Amazing Spider-Man game will now be able to play the game as Stan Lee himself, in place of Spidey. To be made available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the upcoming Spider-Man game also comes with a “Rhino Challenge” timed mission requiring you to smash and trash as much of New York City as you can and is available on GameStop. As for Stan Lee’s character, the American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher and television personality has voiced it himself while the mission requires you to collect pages of a script!
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Pioneer unveils augmented-reality based Cyber Navi infotainment system


Pioneer has recently unveiled a newer way to have drivers more distracted than ever. Based on augmented-reality technology, this latest head-unit called "Cyber Navi" works as an infotainment system complete with an entertainment suite, GPS navigation, DVD playback, 1Seg television, and a motorized retractable display. Using a MicroVision laser projector, the system simply beams images onto the wind-screen that according to us however is distracting to say the least. The technology does seem promising though and could work better with a smart tucked-away interface that works without distracting drivers.
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Dude surgically mounts iPod to his arm


Falling in love with a portable music player is commonplace; surgically implanting one in your hand however requires a stone-heart, numb-nerves and loads of guts. Well, Dave Hurban didn’t seem to mind however, and the man-drenched-in-body-art decided to step away from the ordinary by implanting an iPod Nano in his hand, all by himself! The Nano now serves as a wrist-watch that will simply never come off, without tearing out his skin in the bargain that is. From the video, the whole procedure seemed pretty painful and, just like every other body piercing, completely useless, though extremely unique.
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Panasonic develops foldable substrate for smartphones


Wearing smartphones on our wrists has been a long-cherished dream and Panasonic Corp has brought the mobile phone industry a step closer to the same. The folks at the company have come up with a foldable substrate that could be used to create flexible circuits, enabling smartphones to sport wrap-around designs! Called the ALIVH-F, the substrate is made of film, unlike the usual glass resin and sports an eight-layer structure measuring in at 0.37 millimeters, 30% thinner and 35% lighter than conventional substrates.
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Fort Lee, New Jersey, bans texting-while-walking; slams $85 fine on offenders


Mobile phones have proved to be hazardous before, with text-message-obsessed folks been known to be run down by cars, motorcycles, trains and falling into drains and pits. To keep its population from such terribly disturbing fates, the authorities at Fort Lee, New Jersey, have decided to fine pedestrians who text while walking around. This also decreases the number of texting-folk who bump into normal beings like us regularly. Those texting and walking in the area will be fined $85, a hefty sum not many would happily part with just for a text message.
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LG Miracle Windows Phone leaked; video and images show up ahead of launch


We just stumbled across a leak in regards to the soon-to-be-released LG Windows Phone. The mid-range phone, earlier nicknamed the Fantasy, has shown up on webspace yet again, this time christened the Miracle. Complete with a 5-megapixel rear camera and 4-inch display, the Mango-powered smartphone is said to sport a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8GB of storage along with an NFC chip. The phone is expected to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month and from the looks of the leaked images and video, this device could do pretty well in the Windows-platform smartphone market.
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LG Display unveils 0.7mm thin flexible electronic paper display


new gadgets of -LG Display recently showed the world what could very well be the next best way to communicate in the near future. a probable successor to the evergreen newspaper and tabloid, LG Display unveiled this plastic electronic paper display (EPD) technology that could pretty much hog the limelight in the electronic paper industry up ahead. A 6″ XGA display at 1024 x 768 resolution, this display will use e-ink and sports a paper-like reading experience, using a plastic substrate. Flexible and bendable to a range of 40 degrees, this e-paper is also extremely thin, measuring in at just 0.7mm, about 33% slimmer than conventional EPD designs while weighing in at a mere 14 grams! Also, this one’s durable to quite an extent and has been subjected to drop tests from heights of 1.5 meters above ground to assure the butter-fingered few.
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Wall-sized integrated TV screen of the future makes projectors look medieval!


new tech news Up ahead in the near future, projectors and massive display panels could pretty much turn obsolete in home-theater setups with this newest unveiling by NDS, a DRM security and DVR technology company, grabbing the limelight recently. Using six large LCDs arranged in a rectangular array, this $30,000 setup is in all essence a wall-sized screen and runs on chrome, coded in HTML5. Also, the screen is perfectly disguised and blends seamlessly into the wall. When switched off, this one simply replicates the designs on surrounding walls, appearing as a seemingly dull blank wall to the untrained eye!
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Nike’s new TurboSpeed Suit for Olympic runners helps decrease lap-time by 0.23 seconds!



Human beings are quickly turning into a quicker-at-its-feet race, with Usain Bolt paving the way ahead. Now, giving Olympic runners a perfect way to beat the elements and aerodynamic drag, Nike has unveiled this fabulous tech-packed running suit. Called the TurboSpeed Suit, this one’s inspired by golf-ball designs; those little white spheres that we think are devoid of any technology whatsoever. Using a similar dimple design found on golf balls, this suit easily decreases a 100-meter spin by a whopping 0.23 seconds! Besides helping already-fast-humans run faster, the TurboSpeed suit is also environmentally sound and is made from 82 per cent recycled polyester fabric, using 13 recycled plastic bottles per suit!
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Saturday 12 May 2012

A Life of Lego – Practical Uses for your Lego Blocks


If you’re tired of yelping in pain when you stand on a Lego block that never managed to make it to the toy box, why not get creative and put your Lego to practical use. The versatility of the simple Lego block prompted James May to build a fully functioning, albeit slightly uncomfortable house made entirely of Lego. You can create your world with Lego as well.
One of the most obvious practical uses for Lego blocks is in wall repair. And why not? Lego blocks are, in essence, building blocks and if you need to prop up your house why not use the colour-coded blocks to save the day? (not as unlikely as you might think – they’re incredibly strong for their weight).

Lego Gadgets

Lego is not just for geeks, but geeks have managed to carefully use Lego to create some of the world’s coolest techno gadgets that you simply have to have if you are a Lego fan, and let’s face it, pretty much everyone is.

The Cube Stormer

A high tech Lego robot that is able to solve the Rubik’s Cube in less than five seconds. I’d buy that. It works on a complicated algorithm that rotates and solves the puzzle of the cube all wrapped up in Lego trimming.
Game developers are getting in on the Lego action as well. New app game Robot Roadies has developed a life size Lego robot to go along with the game. Advertisers and marketers are starting to use Lego as a versatile resource to tap into different markets.

Computer Case

Build your own computer case out of Lego, or you can buy one. There are a number of companies that produce Lego computer cases. You can even buy a computer pre- assembled in a Lego case on wheels. Of course, dropping it down a flight of stairs when you are losing at BF3 might not be such a good idea.

Lego Salt and Pepper

When you’re looking for a classic and timeless addition to your crockery set, then you can’t go wrong with a set of Lego salt and pepper pots on your table. They are classic, in the way that Lego is classic and the bricks at the top of the pots can be moved to adjust the flow of salt of pepper. Practical uses for Lego just never stop.

Flash Drive Stack

Everyone has more than one Flash drive and Lego just made it easier to find them. You can get a Lego Flash Drive holder and never lose your important information. Colour code them; stick them together in a stack. It’s a perfect office gadget you can take with you wherever you go.

Holders, Racks and Stacks

If you don’t want to buy Lego gadgets but would rather try your hand and stretch your creative powers, why not try making some Lego items that are useful, practical and cheap. Use your old Lego Blocks to create holders for cell phones, boxes for CD’s and even a nifty container for your docking station or iPod charger. The uses for Lego are unlimited. One of the most practical uses for Lego has been as a prop. Prop what? Prop anything up and props to Lego for inventing the most useful household item in the world.
Whether you are propping up your Scalectric road or holding up a cookery book, Lego is the building block for the home. It’s not just practical in the home. Did you know that NASA used Lego blocks to create the solar reflection panels on the International Space Station, because Lego is more durable than most polymers? If they’d fully developed the idea, The Shuttle programme may have never been cancelled. Lego continues to build, stack and stick blocks together to make our world, if not a better place, then certainly a more colourful one.
Note: This handy practical guide was produced on behalf of Legoland Holidays; Official holiday provider of short stay breaks at the new Legoland Hotel.

Black Ops 2- trailer hints at series dark future

 A new teaser trailer for "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2" reveals important details about the setting and gameplay options for the latest title in the blockbuster "Call of Duty" series.
The clip was posted online Tuesday night and has already attracted 1.4 million views on YouTube. It features a near-future scenario in which the U.S. military has developed technology that puts unmanned vehicles and robots on the front lines of battle. An enemy gains access to that technology and turns it against cities all over the world.
Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision, "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2" will be released November 18. Its predecessor, 2010's "Call of Duty: Black Ops," is the best-selling video game ever in the United States, according to some estimates.
Mark Lamia, Treyarch studio head, said his developers did a lot of research to set the game in a plausible future. He said for its single-player campaign, the game will feature multiple plotlines and nonlinear gameplay in which a player's actions affect how the story unfolds.
Gameplay in the video shows a bombed-out Los Angeles, urban combat through city streets and ... horseback chases through the desert. It appears to mix futuristic, sci-fi themes with present-day elements.
Lamia also confirmed that zombies are returning to the game. "Our biggest, most ambitious zombies ever," he said.
He would not reveal anything about the game's multiplayer action. Lamia said more information on that will be released later.
The futuristic tone of the game seemed to polarize fans on the Internet. Some joked about whether Treyarch was making Anonymous, the real-life hacker group dedicated to promoting free flow of information, the game's main villain.
Twitter user @killyourfm said, "You know what? I'm BURNT OUT on shooters, especially Call of Duty. But that trailer got me very interested. Futuristic toys. Horses. Cool."
However, "Call of Duty Elite" forum user Oneqwkford laments, "This looks stupid! If I wanted to play a Si-fi game I would play Gears of War or Halo! I always get Very excited for a new CoD game but this one looks very Disappointing. I will not be buying this one!"
Many other gamers said they were waiting for more details on "Black Ops 2's" multiplayer action before making a decision about purchasing the game.