Jun 20 2009 ALMOST Cute: LIttle Robot Making Coffee
This is a video of some guy's robot girlfriend that's been programmed to make him coffee. You know, JUST LIKE A GOOD GIRLFRIEND SHOULD. Am I right, honey? Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be sleeping in the car. BUT ONLY BECAUSE IT HAS AM/FM RADIO.
Thanks to shogunu, who programmed his girlfriend to make toast too. Nice, shogunu -- with jam?
Apr 17 2009 Super Mario Theme Played On Laser Cutter
This is the Super Mario Bros. theme being played using the step motors of a laser cutter. It sounds just like you think it would (read: PEWLESS). Still, it's kinda cool. Not as cool as a cold one, but *glug glug glug* my God that's delicious. Now, what were we just talking about? Right, you getting me another beer. I vote yay.
Video: Laser cutter plays Super Mario Bros. theme [offworld]
Thanks to Sr. Laser Mario, who once played the Mario theme on a powerful burning laser and lost four fingers on one hand and two on the other. Still, it was beautiful, Sr. Mario.
Mar 8 2009 Yikes!: Scary Robo-Kid Is No Child Of Mine
The iCub is an iStupidly named robot-child created by the RobotCub Consortium in Italy (not to be confused with Opus Dei). He was designed to have the movement and learning capabilities of a three-year old child and a face only a mother could love. A really loving mother. A blind one with no ears or sense of feeling in her hands.
The iCub is able to crawl and walk, make human-like eye and head movements and recognise and grasp objects like a toddler, scientists say.
'It's hoped the iCub will develop its cognitive capabilities in the same way as a child, progressively learning about its own bodily skills, how to interact with the world and eventually how to communicate with other individuals.'
Oh man, it seems like only yesterday I first learning about my own "bodily skills". Awh yeah -- you know the one I'm talking about: I can pull my thumb back all the way!
Meet iCub - the robot that moves and learns like a child [dailymail]
and
Youtube
Thanks to Remo, Annie, Justin, Kyle and The Random Factor, who would never give birth to this thing.
Mar 5 2009 Death A La Mode: A Robotic Ice Cream Server
I just don't get it -- why take the chance? What's wrong with paying some pimply adolescent $6/hour to serve ice cream? You have to look at his ugly face, that's what. Still, I want the record to show that I am anti-robotic ice cream server.
These Kuka industrial robots were programmed by 26 students over 5 weeks to serve ice cream (with toppings!) to attendees at Ohio Northern University's homecoming festivities.
Well, like the saying goes, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for HOLY SHIT THAT ROBOT HAS SPRINKLES -- HIT THE DECK!!!"
Hit the jump for a relatively boring 5-minute video about the servers of death.
Continue Reading " Death A La Mode: A Robotic Ice Cream Server "
Feb 6 2009 9-Year Old Writes Finger Painting iPhone App
Lim Ding Wen is a 9-year old Chinese boy. But not just any Chinese boy, Ding Wen wrote a finger painting iPhone app for his younger siblings.
Lim, who is now fluent in six programming languages, first started using a computer when he was two-years-old, discovered programming aged seven, and has since completed more than 20 programming projects.
His latest application, Doodle Kids, allows users to draw pictures using their fingers and then clear the screen by shaking the iPhone.
Pretty impressive, huh? Not to his father!
"Ding Wen is an above average boy with an interest in computers, especially Apple IIGS and Macs, likes to do programming, and that's it. Doodle Kids is an extremely simple program that can be done by anybody. Everybody can program - if Ding Wen can, so can you," he wrote.
Wow, dad, don't be too proud. "Who, Din Wen? Eh, he's nothing special. And just between you and me -- I think he's retarded. Mother's side of course."
Nine-year-old writes iPhone code [bbcnews]
Thanks to Lisa, who was programming VCRs at four.
Jan 22 2009 Uh, I've Got The Feeling This Is Illegal: How To Hack Those Programmable Road Signs
Ever wanted to put your own message on one of those portable road signs along the highway? Well now you can with just a little tampering and a whole lot of illegal! Unfortunately, because many children read this website, you'll have to follow the link after the jump to find out how. I'll admit, I gave it a go myself, and it does actually work. Although I did get busted. In hindsight, standing next to the "SHOW ME YOUR TITS" sign with a Motorists Gone Wild t-shirt and video camera probably wasn't the smartest decision I've ever made. But definitely top five.
Hit it for a couple pictures and a link to the how-to.
Oct 29 2008 Cool: Guy Makes Open Source Gameboy
Nearly 20 years after the original, a guy has developed an open source Gameboy made with fairly basic components. If you're interested, you can actually buy a kit with all you need here for $250. Or, if you're MacGyver, you could just make your own with a handful of paperclips, a disposable plastic plate, an iPhone, the batteries from your girlfriend's vibrator. Alternatively, if your girlfriends swears she doesn't have a special friend (despite your having heard a humming in the bathroom), you're going to need a potato.
Hit the jump for another picture and some videos.
Aug 7 2008 Luxeed Colorful Keyboards Now Available
We heard about the Luxeed Dyamic Keyboard a year ago, and now the rainbow peripherals are finally available, for $200. You can choose between a black model on which only the letters are illuminated, or a white one that has the entire keys light up. Every board has 430 LEDs and you can program each individual key's color and make lighting animations. Sure, you could use the thing for Photoshop shortcuts or colored gaming keys, but let's be honest -- this board is strictly for showing off. I mean, who doesn't want to be the first in the office with a rainbow keyboard? Unfortunately, it looks like The Superficial Writer beat me to it. Hey buddy, see you got the Luxeed, very cool. And....pink. Ha -- now that you mention it, it does match your skirt. And....dude are you wearing makeup?
Hit the jump for a video of the board in action.
Continue Reading " Luxeed Colorful Keyboards Now Available "
Jan 7 2008 Tomy Robot Is Pretty Cool, Shoots Arrows
The i-SOBOT from Tomy is a handsome little programmable robot that costs $200. He stands 6.5" tall and has 200 pre-programmed moves that you can string together to make him dance, shoot a bow, etc. He can even talk (a little) thanks to his 200 word and phrase databank. They should have called him the i-200 seeing how that seems to be his magic number. There's a video after the jump you should watch of the awesome little guy shooting his bow and arrow. And I must say, I like his style. He shoots like I do -- without looking. Sure I've hit a couple assistants in the face during my stunt spectacular at the county fair, but who cares about them. You shouldn't volunteer to be an assistant if you don't understand the risk involved. It's not like I said I was an excellent marksman or anything, I just said I was going to attempt to shoot an apple off someone's head. I reckon I could have mentioned I'd never shot a bow before.
Another picture and a video of the awesome little friend of mine after the jump.
Continue Reading " Tomy Robot Is Pretty Cool, Shoots Arrows "
