Posts

For as long as we’ve had thumbs, we’ve twiddled them. Now, MIT researchers have taken advantage of the habit and created a thumbnail-mounted trackpad.The thumbnail-sized device, called NailO, works like a regular trackpad but much more discreetly. A wearer might use the trackpad to answer the phone while cooking, for instance, or she might use it in addition to a smartphone screen, touching it to toggle between keyboards.NailO connects to the thumbnail as would a nail sticker—which was the inspiration for the design, says MIT grad student Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao, one of the project’s lead authors....

Micrometeorites and undetectable bits of space junk as small as 0.4 mm pose a serious threat to every current and future manned space mission. These dust-size particles travel as fast as 12 miles per second, packing enough momentum to melt aluminum spacecraft skin–or turn it into a puff of vapor. To find small holes, astronauts must use handheld ultrasonic devices such as directional microphones–a time-consuming process. NASA scientists seeking other solutions are focusing on new wireless technologies that can find tiny leaks by tracking vibrations across a spacecraft’s metal skin....

Media Platforms Design TeamLast week, Davin Coburn headed to the Pacific Northwest to learn about one company’s revolutionary new build process for their high-performance kitplane—and then to go for a test drive, to figure out what it was like 180 degrees from a midtown Manhattan office. Catch up with his journey by clicking here, then take to the skies below… The Sportsmen are loaded. Inside Glasair’s hangar, Ted Setzer is packing two planes with what appears to be the entire “Camping” aisle from a local Wal-Mart....

Media Platforms Design TeamWelcome to PM/AM, PopMech’s morning briefing on the top science and tech stories for today.Read ThisAstronomers have found an asteroid with rings, and in space, that’s unusual. [via WiredRelive the early days of the iPhone, one of the most transformative pieces of technology in the last decade. [via The Wall Street JournalNVIDIA just made their handheld, the Shield, cheaper and better. [via Android CentralWatch ThisArguably the most terrifying Cambrian predators, anomalocarids were 7 foot long ancient sea monsters that ruled the ocean depths....

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/46qKHq7REI4?version=3&hl=en_US[/youtube](Above: Trailer for The Net. Never forget.)From The Net to Swordfish to Live Free Or Die Hard, Hollywood loves its hackers, and has built a handy stereotype about them: Hackers are overwhelmingly white males who are immature, socially awkward, alienated, vindictive, have personality problems, and are motivated by selfish goals. That’s according to Molly Sauter, a researcher at MIT’s Center for Media, who held a South by Southwest panel called, “Policy Effects of Media Portrayals of Hacktivists....

Four days after a United Nations committee declared that the use of Taser’s X26 stun gun by police amounted to torture, Taser has issued a strong response. In a release posted on its Web site today, the Arizona-based company claimed that the U.N. Committee Against Torture is “out of touch with the reality that confronts law enforcement officers every day worldwide.” Taser’s statement criticizes the committee’s reference to “several reliable studies and certain cases,” none of which are specifically cited....

When the United States moves Patriot missile batteries, people pay attention. Patriots are the go-to, land-based weapons system that the United States and 12 of its allies use to defend airspace against aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, and ballistic missiles. Their presence changes the strategic balance of wherever they appear. That’s why the world certainly took notice last week when the U.S. removed two Patriot batteries from Turkey, a signal that they may be needed elsewhere in the Middle East, Europe, or the Korean Peninsula....

Media Platforms Design TeamIt seems like Android viruses have been more and more common lately, but I don’t know anyone who’s gotten one. Still, I don’t want my phone getting infected. Is it worth installing antivirus software?Short answer: yes. Longer answer: probably, unless you spend so much time vetting each app you install that you’re completely confident it’s legitimate and virus-free. It was only a matter of time before malware makers started targeting smartphones, which emphasize Internet useincluding downloading apps....

Media Platforms Design TeamNeighborhood legends are born through . And there’s one essential weapon when it comes to ruling this winter realm: a killer snow fort. With the proper cover—a thoughtfully constructed, built-to-last fort—power is yours for the taking. Follow these five easy steps to protect yourself and your team from a rapid-fire snowball attack.snowball fight dominationSize WiselyWhether you’re building a four-walled fort or a smaller structure for taking cover, your first step is to measure out the space you’ll need....

MORE BOLD IDEAS:* INFRASTRUCTURE: High-Tech Fixes for Modern Living* MEDICINE: Future Mods for Our Minds and Bodies* ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Bright Ideas for Smarter WattsBuild Start-Stop Into Every VehicleMedia Platforms Design TeamBosch illustrates its energy saving start/stop system. (Illustration Courtesy of Bosch)By 2012, manufacturing giant Bosch estimates, half the new vehicles in Europe will be able to shut down their engines whenever they begin to idle. Hybrids already work this way. Bosch says its own system, Smart Starter, can boost a conventional car’s city-driving fuel economy by 8 percent....

I like the Lincoln Town Car. There, I said it. Yes the same Lincoln Town Car that takes you to the airport, chaperones your kids to the prom and gets your uncle Sal to Boca Raton bingo night in style.Yeah I know it’s not quick. It doesn’t handle well by today’s (or yesterday’s) standards and it looks like someone from the Gambino family should be behind the wheel. But I still like it....

Media Platforms Design TeamNow with a patent granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office, Apple is being a little more forthcoming about the design of its upcoming gadgets—and the future is curved. Bowed screens are not unheard of as both Samsung (Round) and LG (G Flex) have released devices with slight straight-line deficiencies, but Apple’s patent, lovingly cataloged as US 8,603,574, adds a little more credence to tech rumors like the iWatch, a purely speculated (up to this point) smartwatch, and other odd-shaped redesign possibilities for the iPhone as mentioned by Bloomberg in November....

I’m no economist, but after my investigation into chip security there, I’ve been paying closer attention these days to a few numbers coming out of China. Specifically, the consumer price index (CPI) figures for December and January, which state that inflation in China for those months was up 6.5 and 7.1 percent, respectively. It’s a trend that seems to be increasing, and the real economists I interviewed for this article don’t see it going away anytime soon....

Just as Virgin Galactic debuted its new Boeing 747 to launch small satellites from a plane, another plan to use atmospheric airplanes to get small payloads to space is riding off into the sunset. DARPA gave Boeing funding to investigate ways to get small payloads to space riding on a F-15 fighter jet. Now, it’s pulling back on that because both tests resulted in explosions. The root of the problem in the tests was nitrous oxide-acetylene, the kind of propellant used in the rockets....

The Claim: “Are nasty drafts forcing you to crank up the heat?” With Twin Draft Guard’s “double sided insulated design,” you can “save BIG on Your Energy Bills.” The fabric sleeve holds foam cylinders on opposite sides of a door, creating an “airtight, draft-proof” seal. Works on any floor, even carpets, to insulate living areas, garages and basements. The Test: Using the Twin Draft Guard to “seal” beneath doors on tile and carpet....

Media Platforms Design TeamBillboards will tell you that the stars of out February 25, are Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard. But the film has several key players: the muscle cars. And that’s because writer/director Patrick Lussier and co-writer Todd Farmer had a very specific movie in mind. “We were talking about what kind of movies we thought would be fun to do in 3D, and we hit on a ’70s road movie,” says Lussier, who also directed ....

View full post on YoutubeA species of creepy looking anglerfish known as the Black Seadevil has been recorded at a depth of 1,900 feet near the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California. The elusive deep sea creature is known for its giant fangs and bioluminescent pole, which it uses to lure in prey. The footage taken by the aquarium is one of a small handful of videos in existence of the fish, which is less than four inches long and lives in the darker, deeper corners of the ocean....

Media Platforms Design TeamPushed by a recent rash of articles detailing the Federal Communication Commission’s supposed net neutrality plans, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler took to the organization’s blog to clear up alleged misinformation about the upcoming proposal.The FCC’s last effort to address net neutrality was thrown out in court this past January, forcing the organization to re-think. Wheeler’s new take would allow internet service providers to charge a “reasonable” fee for faster services, essentially create a fast lane for companies willing to pay....

Then there was the nail that I picked up with the rear wheel of my garden tractor. It was a roofing nail, and I decided to leave it alone. I don’t know how long it had been there, but the tire hadn’t lost any air. Then, a few weeks later, I found the tire flat—and (guess what) the nail was gone. I suddenly regretted not having pulled it out in the first place....

Q: I use Google Calendar for personal appointments and Outlook for work-­related scheduling. Is there an easy way to sync the two?A: Yes. Google has a free Windows application called Google Calendar Sync that ties Google Calendar and Outlook together. However, the program only connects one Google and one Outlook calendar, so if you use more consider purchasing a $25 program called SyncMyCal.Mac users have it a bit tougher. Microsoft Office for Macs uses Entourage–a program with no clean way of syncing with Google Calendar....