Sony recently revealed their new 2.5-inch Flexi-OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) display, made from a glass substrate it has a resolution of 120 x 169 pixels, weighs a mere 1.5 grams and is only .3mm thick. The flexible display has the capability of being bent in any direction.
The great thing about OLED displays is that the pixels emit there own light so no additional light source is required, making the display consume less power compared to current displays that require back-lighting. Because OLED pixels directly emit light, OLED pixel colors appear correct and unshifted, even as the viewing angle approaches 90 degrees. This technology is also less expensive to produce over the current LCD display technology.
Dean Kamen and DEKA Research are working with DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), in an attempt to create the next-generation robotic prosthesis for soldiers wounded in battle, and it looks like they have succeeded. At a recent conference in Honolulu, Hawaii As part of his presentation Kamen gave a little background information on the project and showed a short video clip of the arm in action.
Titled “Gen X - Separate Exo Control” two team member demonstrated the robotic arm grasping a water bottle, & preforming delicate tasks such as picking up a pen and scratching a nose. weighing less than nine pounds this is a really impressive piece of technology and a needed leap forward for prosthetics.
NASA and Ohio Aerospace Institute have been working on designs for a solid-state unmanned aircraft that mimics the flight of a bird. Using thin-film solar arrays and an ionic polymer-metal composite material that can deform in an electric field like an artificial muscle and return to its original shape when the field is removed, Combining the unique characteristics of these materials the vehicle would be able to flap its wings without using conventional mechanical parts.
With a flight profile similar to that of a hawk or eagle, the Solid State Aircraft will be able to soar for long periods of time, utilize its flapping motion to regain lost altitude. It could have a number of uses such as gathering data, relaying communications, and surveying terrain. It could even be used on other planets in atmospheres that would ground conventional aircraft’s.
So if your only reason for watching the last 3 Star Wars films were for the lightsaber battles, then your in luck. The creators of Ryan vs Dorkman have just recently released the sequel, ‘Ryan vs Dorkman 2′. This is just as fantastic as the first film with the same non-stop lightsaber action but with better interaction with the surroundings.
Created by Ryan Wieber and Michael ‘Dorkman’ Scott, the original movie was produced for a lightsaber duel choreography contest. RVD2 was released on March 1, four years to the day after the original Ryan vs. Dorkman. Check out the official website for a higher resolution video.
Johnny five has to be one of the coolest robots of all time first appearing in the movie Short Circuit in 1986 then again in Short Circuit 2 in 1988. so when I saw this excellent replica of number five I had to post it, created by Daniele Benedettelli using LEGO Mindstorms NXT parts, named the JohnNXT.
I cant believe how neat this is the way it moves, stands & even its shoulder Lazar moves in the same way minus the deadly Lazar beam. The only thing it doesn’t have is the on-board radio remote control, so no taking over small air crafts just yet. Daniele Benedettelli did some dimensional study on the real Johnny Five in order to obtain the most precise replica possible.
If like me and many others, you’re a huge fan of the simpsons, you will know that ‘The Simpsons Movie’ is less than two months away. In celebration of the upcoming movie, Microsoft have announced today a Homer Simpson-styled limited edition Xbox 360 Pro, Using the 20GB version instead of the 120GB Elite version.
The bad news for all you hard core collecters is that there will only be 100 limited-edition Simpsons Xbox 360 Pro consoles manufactured, which will be given out as prizes in various competitions leading up to the movie’s release this summer.
The Simpsons Movie is set to release this year on July 27th, 2007. The Simpsons is currently in the middle of its 18th season and has been renewed for a 19th season for 2007 - 2008. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the show since its original debut on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987.
Apple have just released three more “Get a Mac” ads. “Choose a Vista” pointing out the ridiculous amount of Vista versions available. Probably the best of the three; “Genius” Informing everyone that you can get free tech support for Mac from a Mac Genius at every Apple Store & “Party is Over” that also points out the constant Vista delays and the long production times between windows operating systems.
Using a technique called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) scientists were able to send a harmless magnetic signal through the scalp and skull and into the brain, where it activates electrical impulses. In response to each burst of magnetism, the subjects’ brains immediately produced slow waves typical of deep sleep. With a single pulse, they were able to induce a wave that looks identical to the waves the brain makes normally during sleep.
Microsoft have recently unveiled an impressive Work Touch-Desk concept at the Convergence 2007 conference in San Diego, California. It seems like the present is finally catching up with the future through this device. After Microsoft’s unimpressive attempt at bringing 3D visual effect to the Vista desktop with Aero the Touch-Desk is slightly more impressive, with its ability to transform paper documents to digital format with a nice degree of interactivity with the newly converted digital document, voice seach & Star Trek like touch interface this could possibly revolutionize factories and warehousing around the world.
If like me you enjoy comic book art and have been watching the hit NBC TV show Heroes, you probably would have noticed the recurring paintings and sketches that play a central role throughout the show.
Well they are all created by comic book ilustrater Tim Sale. The body of Sale’s comics work has been with collaborator Jeph Loeb who is also a writer and producer on the show.
The two have produced popular works such as Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory, and the so-called ‘color’ books for Marvel Comics starring characters such as Spider-Man and Daredevil.
Just over a month ago, four of the paintings that where featured in the TV show went up for auction. The paintings that where auctioned marked pivotal moments in the TV series: The Exploding Man, Homecoming, The Eclipse and Hiro Battles The T-Rex the highest bid was a huge $25,000 on the Homecoming painting probably one of the most iconic images in the first season. All the proceeds went to the National Epilepsy Foundation.
Also there is an article here in which Sale talks about the stories behind some of the paintings that appear throughout the series.
