Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Wikipedia's Articles Are Printed and Bound to a Massively Tree-Killing Book]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/30/robert-matthews-prints-wikipedia-featured-articles/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/30/robert-matthews-prints-wikipedia-featured-articles/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/30/robert-matthews-prints-wikipedia-featured-articles/#commentsIn a strange exercise regarding our ongoing fascination with how much crap is actually one the Internet (answer: a lot), U.K.-based photog/artist Robert Matthews printed out all 2,559 featured articles on Wikipedia and bound them in a massive, footstool-sized tome.

We have a couple of questions: Why didn't he use a double-sided printer? Is that paper stock unnecessarily thick? Why are his shoes from 1978? How inconsequential and tiny do you feel next to the massive expanse of knowledge and expertise, and all of those intangibles that flutter around the World Wide Web at every moment?

SwitchedWikipedia's Articles Are Printed and Bound to a Massively Tree-Killing Book originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artfuturephotographyrobert matthewsRobertMatthewstopWebwikipediawikipedia printedWikipediaPrintedWed, 30 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Read This: How the iPod Has Changed Our Cultural Fabric]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/read-this-how-the-ipod-has-changed-our-cultural-fabric/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/read-this-how-the-ipod-has-changed-our-cultural-fabric/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/read-this-how-the-ipod-has-changed-our-cultural-fabric/#comments
The danger now is different. The man no longer needs a monopoly on musical taste. He just wants a few cents on the dollar of every song you download, he doesn't care what that song says. Other times he doesn't even care if you pay that dollar, as long as you listen to your stolen music on his portable MP3 player, store it on his Apple computer, send it to your friends through his Verizon network. To paraphrase Yeltsin's famous offer to the Chechens, take as much free music as you can stomach. We'll see where it gets you.
n+1's Nikal Saval undertakes a thorough and disheartening examination of digital music, the iPod and the pluralistic state of taste, drawing on sociological and cultural texts from Pierre Bourdieu and Theodor Adorno. In it, he contends that the personalized experience of the iPod is isolating, consumerist and deafening. When sound is everywhere, the most valuable cultural commodity is silence.

Image from lbphotovn

SwitchedRead This: How the iPod Has Changed Our Cultural Fabric originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DigitalMusicfutureipodmediamp3musicPierreBourdieuPortableMusicTheodorAdornotopTue, 29 Mar 2011 15:35:00 EST<![CDATA[TV on the Radio's Newest Video Pays Tribute to Virtual Reality, Amazing Beards]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/24/tv-on-the-radio-will-do-virtual-reality-video/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/24/tv-on-the-radio-will-do-virtual-reality-video/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/24/tv-on-the-radio-will-do-virtual-reality-video/#comments
Before she won an Oscar for 'The Hurt Locker,' Kathryn Bigelow made 'Strange Days,' a futuristic sci-fi movie imagining a world where people did "playback," a virtual-reality drug that allowed users to live in another body. Brooklyn art rockers TV on the Radio tapped into Bigelow's tale with 'Will Do,' which puts each of the guys in wire-laden, blinking BluBlockers to experience a techno fantasy where, amongst other things, adorable frontman Tunde Adebimpe brings his love back to life. Fun fact: Adebimpe, who was in 'Rachel Getting Married,' will be releasing a video for each song on TVOTR's newest album 'Nine Types of Light,' out in April.

Continue reading TV on the Radio's Newest Video Pays Tribute to Virtual Reality, Amazing Beards

SwitchedTV on the Radio's Newest Video Pays Tribute to Virtual Reality, Amazing Beards originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>futuremusicNineTypesOfLightStrangeDaystopTundeAdebimpetv on the radioTvOnTheRadioTVOTRVirtualRealityThu, 24 Mar 2011 13:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Teach For America Giving Teachers Feedback via Wireless Headsets]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/02/teach-for-america-giving-teachers-feedback-via-wireless-headsets/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/02/teach-for-america-giving-teachers-feedback-via-wireless-headsets/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/02/teach-for-america-giving-teachers-feedback-via-wireless-headsets/#comments teach for america logo A group of Memphis-based Teach For America candidates is testing wireless headsets in the classroom. A mentor located in another room provides feedback and support to the teacher through the headset, just like an NFL coach does to a quarterback. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Memphis TFA branch will study how teachers who wear the headsets adjust to leading a classroom compared with teachers who don't wear the headsets. The idea is that real-time professional development, which is made possible by the back-and-forth between teacher and mentor via headsets, will lower the learning curve of new teachers entering the TFA program.

SwitchedTeach For America Giving Teachers Feedback via Wireless Headsets originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classroomfutureheadsetlearningteacherteachersTeachForAmericatopWirelessHeadsetWed, 02 Mar 2011 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The Future of Fashion May Mean Designing Your Own Duds]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/02/mary-huang-continuum-kickstarter-project-design-dress/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/02/mary-huang-continuum-kickstarter-project-design-dress/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/02/mary-huang-continuum-kickstarter-project-design-dress/#comments Mary Huang dress By employing Delaunay Triangulation, or the practice of creating wide-angled triangles along a set of given points, designer Mary Huang hopes to democratize the little black dress. With her project 'Continuum,' which is about to hit Kickstarter, she hopes to take her proprietary software, and offer it to any gal who wants a hyper-futuristic dress entirely tailored to her own proportions. "Could we use technology to democratize haute couture? Could we let people design their own dress, and still maintain a cohesive, recognizable design?" Huang wonders.

The notion, Huang tells Co.Design, is to "have your clothes made to fit you, instead of figuring out how you fit into clothes." The interface is a simple point-and-click, allowing the user to create more triangles for volume or texture. The "D.dress," as it's called, is made simply through the addition and subtraction of angles, and is made to fit the body by entering a number of measurements (as in normal fashion fitting).

Continue reading The Future of Fashion May Mean Designing Your Own Duds

SwitchedThe Future of Fashion May Mean Designing Your Own Duds originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>continuumd.dressDelaunayTriangulationdesignfashionfuturekickstarterMaryHuangtopWed, 02 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Let's Get Ready to Ruminate! Man Vs. Machine on 'Jeopardy' This Week]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/14/jeopardy-watson-takes-on-humans-this-week/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/14/jeopardy-watson-takes-on-humans-this-week/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/14/jeopardy-watson-takes-on-humans-this-week/#commentsalex trebek, ken jennings, brad rutter and watson After almost two years of steady hype (including a fascinating recent preview on 'Nova'), the 'Jeopardy' battle between mankind and machine finally goes down this week. Beginning tonight, the three-day war for trivia supremacy pits Watson, the IBM supercomputer, against 'Jeopardy' heroes Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Watson actually vanquished the two humans in a recent practice round, so Jennings and Rutter had better get their game faces on. All hope for humanity (or, at least, humanity's future hopes of winning cash prizes and extended vacations) rests on the outcome.

SwitchedLet's Get Ready to Ruminate! Man Vs. Machine on 'Jeopardy' This Week originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BradRutterfutureibmIbmWatsonjeopardyjeopardy+february+14jeopardy+watsonjeopardyfebruary14jeopardywatsonKenJenningstopwatsonMon, 14 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[China, IBM Develop City-Sized Cloud Computing Complex]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/08/china-ibm-develop-cloud-computing-city/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/08/china-ibm-develop-cloud-computing-city/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/08/china-ibm-develop-cloud-computing-city/#commentschinese cloud computing complex rendering China and IBM are teaming up to build a massive cloud computing and office complex. How massive? According to Computer World, it's the size of an entire city.

The new center will cover an estimated 6.2 million square feet, with 646,000 square feet devoted to the data center alone. In total, the complex will be about the size of the Pentagon, though it will be spread out over a comparatively wider area in the Hebei Province. IBM will contribute its data design services to the project, with assistance from Range Technology Development Co. Once completed, the data center itself will be among the largest in the world, but it will still trail the 1.1-million-square-foot center in Chicago, which, according to Data Center Knowledge, remains the world's biggest.

Continue reading China, IBM Develop City-Sized Cloud Computing Complex

SwitchedChina, IBM Develop City-Sized Cloud Computing Complex originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinacloudcloud computingCloudComputingcomplexdatadata centerDataCenterdevelopmentfutureibmITtopTue, 08 Feb 2011 15:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Lockheed Builds Jets in Seriously Awesome, Kind of Embarrassing Virtual Environment]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/26/lockheed-builds-jets-collaborative-human-immersive-laboratory/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/26/lockheed-builds-jets-collaborative-human-immersive-laboratory/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/26/lockheed-builds-jets-collaborative-human-immersive-laboratory/#commentsLockheed's CHIL When designing a new aircraft, engineers must be able to get a feel for how the jet might come together -- and, generally, the only way to do that is to actually build a mock-up and crawl inside. But, with the Collaborative Human Immersive Laboratory or CHIL (which is pronounced exactly how you'd expect... with a heavy dose of shame), engineers can get some "hands-on" time with their creations through the use of virtual reality. Those people who look like they're doing the robot in the video posted after the break are actually navigating a virtual craft in three-dimensional space. The virtual environment offers some tangible benefits (besides cost) over a real prototype. For one, changes can be made and quickly evaluated without having to build an entirely new model. It also makes it possible for several people to collaborate on a single model from across the country or across the globe. Models can even have data superimposed over them, so that engineers can quickly see important measurements.

The tech was developed by Lockheed's Virtual Reality Systems Integration Lab. As you can see in the second demo video posted after the break, CHIL is capable of some pretty spiffy graphics. In fact, we can't help but imagine the tech being used to create one incredibly realistic first-person shooter. We wonder what it would take to port 'Half Life 2' to CHIL...

Continue reading Lockheed Builds Jets in Seriously Awesome, Kind of Embarrassing Virtual Environment

SwitchedLockheed Builds Jets in Seriously Awesome, Kind of Embarrassing Virtual Environment originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CHILdesignfuturelockheedtopvirtual realityVirtualRealityWed, 26 Jan 2011 16:50:00 EST<![CDATA[E-Ink Camo Used to Make Tanks 'Invisible']]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/active-camo-system-e-ink-tanks-invisible/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/active-camo-system-e-ink-tanks-invisible/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/active-camo-system-e-ink-tanks-invisible/#commentsActive camo system for tanks uses electronic ink. British scientists are developing an active camouflage system for tanks that uses electronic ink to project images of the surrounding terrain onto the armored vehicle's shell. According to The Telegraph, electronic sensors would be placed on the tank's exterior. These sensors scan the environment, and use the e-ink to project colors, lines and shapes onto the tank's hull -- turning the vehicle nearly invisible to the eyes of enemies. As the tank rolls along, its camouflage changes in real-time, depending on the environment. BAE Systems, the British defense firm developing the concept, believes that active camouflage is the answer to problems such as the one troops are facing in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. There, tanks are painted tan to blend in with the desert; but, when these vehicles roll into the greener parts of the region, where the Taliban sometimes hides, the tanks stick out like a sore thumb. BAE hopes to have built its active camo system into a prototype within four years. At that point, the company expects, a tank could simply change colors like a chameleon to better blend in with its environs and to keep troops safer.

SwitchedE-Ink Camo Used to Make Tanks 'Invisible' originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>afghanistanBritish MilitaryBritishMilitarycamocamouflagedefensee-inkeinkelectronic inkElectronicInkfuturemilitarymilitary techMilitaryTechtanktankstopwarThu, 13 Jan 2011 13:20:00 EST<![CDATA[NASA Attack on Absurd Sci-Fi Destroys the Myths of '2012']]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/nasa-attack-on-absurd-sci-fi-destroys-the-myths-of-2012/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/nasa-attack-on-absurd-sci-fi-destroys-the-myths-of-2012/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/nasa-attack-on-absurd-sci-fi-destroys-the-myths-of-2012/#comments Ridiculous and implausible science fiction movies number in the thousands, but one particularly absurd film has actually provoked public admonishment from NASA. According to The Australian, NASA members recently discussed Hollywood science fiction fare, particularly the inane nonsense offered by 'Armageddon,' 'The 6th Day' and the unprecedentedly terrible [Ed. note: AMAZING] '2012.'

The director of the space organization's Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission, Donald Yeomans, called the scenario in '2012' "an exceptional and extraordinary case." The NASA official basically discredited every aspect of the film's scientific material, including the purportedly cataclysmic capabilities of neutrinos and an "exaggerated" depiction of climate change. The fearful public response to the film even forced the organization to assuage concerns on its official website.

Continue reading NASA Attack on Absurd Sci-Fi Destroys the Myths of '2012'

SwitchedNASA Attack on Absurd Sci-Fi Destroys the Myths of '2012' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012armageddonBladeRunnerfuturegattacamoviesNASAscience fictionScienceFictionScienceFictionFilmAwardsspacetopTue, 04 Jan 2011 06:30:00 EST<![CDATA[24 Videos From 2010 That Should've Gone Viral, But Didn't]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/29/24-great-videos-from-2010-worth-revisiting/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/29/24-great-videos-from-2010-worth-revisiting/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/29/24-great-videos-from-2010-worth-revisiting/#comments24 videos from 2010 Everything is remixed and reblogged to death these days, so we've got very little desire to see yet another OK Go video, Old Spice riff or Double Rainbow in 2011. But, on a second look back on 2010 we picked our favorite videos that didn't necessarily go hyper viral -- the ones that warrant more than an e-mail forward or quick tweet. You'll find Zuckerberg's weirdest on-stage performance, the beginning of the Kinect hacks frenzy (as well as a few failures) and some good, ol' fashioned slo-mo camera tricks. Head after the break for 24 videos from the past 12 months we'll unearth years from now to see what a weird year it truly was.

Continue reading 24 Videos From 2010 That Should've Gone Viral, But Didn't

Switched24 Videos From 2010 That Should've Gone Viral, But Didn't originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>topvideosviral videosViralVideosYearInReviewWed, 29 Dec 2010 14:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Scientists Battle Back Pain With Shocking Spinal Smart Chip]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/16/scientists-battle-back-pain-with-shocking-spinal-smart-chip/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/16/scientists-battle-back-pain-with-shocking-spinal-smart-chip/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/16/scientists-battle-back-pain-with-shocking-spinal-smart-chip/#commentssmart chip spine Implantable chips offer seemingly infinite healing possibilities, particularly for the blind, the disabled and those who suffer from Parkinson's Disease. Australian scientists now believe a developmental chip could offer tantalizing benefits for sufferers of another affliction. According to Popular Science, National ICT Australia recently revealed its design for "a smart chip that, when embedded in the spine, intercepts and blocks pain messages en route to the brain."

Doctors conceivably will install a minuscule chip, contained "in a biocompatible casing smaller than the head of a match," within a patient's spine. A separate wireless battery implant, which doctors connect to an outside processor, continuously charges the implanted pain blocker. That alleviating chip actually recognizes pain signals as they travel toward the brain. It will then annihilate the messages of misery with a 10-volt electric pulse.

Continue reading Scientists Battle Back Pain With Shocking Spinal Smart Chip

SwitchedScientists Battle Back Pain With Shocking Spinal Smart Chip originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biotechChipImplantChronicBackPainhealthimplantableimplantsmedicalNationalIctAustraliatopThu, 16 Dec 2010 07:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ex-Googler's 'Disconnect' Extension Disables Third-Party Data Tracking]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/15/ex-googlers-disconnect-extension-disables-third-party-data-tr/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/15/ex-googlers-disconnect-extension-disables-third-party-data-tr/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/15/ex-googlers-disconnect-extension-disables-third-party-data-tr/#commentsdisconnect chrome extension The evolution of Web browsing and digital commerce makes it more difficult than ever to maintain privacy online. For all the beautiful perks offered by HTML5, we have to deal with ugly facts like the Evercookie. So, it's heartening to think that some of the people responsible for these advances are offering technology that fights back.

Three weeks ago, a former Google employee named Brian Kennish left the search behemoth to launch Disconnect, a browser extension for Chrome and Rockmelt that prevents third parties like Digg, Facebook, Twitter (and, yes, Google) from picking up cookies from your searches and browsing.

Continue reading Ex-Googler's 'Disconnect' Extension Disables Third-Party Data Tracking

SwitchedEx-Googler's 'Disconnect' Extension Disables Third-Party Data Tracking originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>evercookiefacebook disconnectFacebookDisconnectHTML5privacywebWed, 15 Dec 2010 07:20:00 EST<![CDATA[MLB's Winter Meetings Stocked With Baseball Gadgets]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/14/mlbs-winter-meetings-stocked-with-baseball-gadgets/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/14/mlbs-winter-meetings-stocked-with-baseball-gadgets/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/14/mlbs-winter-meetings-stocked-with-baseball-gadgets/#commentsAt Major League Baseball's annual winter meetings, general managers didn't just shop for free-agent players or discuss potential trades. According to The New York Times, they also browsed a trade show with a bevy of gadgets -- including the popular hand-sized radar gun and a smartphone app for concessions and souvenirs -- that could not only improve their teams, but also make a trip to the ballpark more enjoyable for fans.

This tech might sound dated to some, but understand, any technological advances in baseball, which is a game notorious for its refusal to change, are a big deal. Instant replay was finally used in this year's playoffs, and we told you a couple months ago about an iPhone app that lets fans order food from their seats. A similar app called Bypass Lane, which was also on display at the winter meetings, lets fans order food, and notifies them via text message when it's ready to be picked up. Executives from nearly all 30 MLB teams stopped by the Pocket Radar booth to see the radar gun (pictured right). The size of an iPhone, it is supposedly accurate to within 1 mile-per-hour. To baseball execs, the thought of a scout holding a radar gun in his palm, or of fans buying food with their phones, is downright revolutionary.

SwitchedMLB's Winter Meetings Stocked With Baseball Gadgets originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appappsbaseballbypass laneBypassLanecellphonesfutureMLBradarsportstopTue, 14 Dec 2010 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Implanted Electrical Impulse Chips Could Mobilize the Paralyzed]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/11/24/implanted-electrical-impulse-chips-could-mobilize-the-paralyzed/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/24/implanted-electrical-impulse-chips-could-mobilize-the-paralyzed/http://www.switched.com/2010/11/24/implanted-electrical-impulse-chips-could-mobilize-the-paralyzed/#commentsScientists have successfully demonstrated amazing advancements in prosthetics and other technologies for the disabled in recent years. Electrical impulse technology and mind control systems certainly provide hope for the future, but some analysts believe it could be decades before controllable prostheses and commercial, self-contained options become feasible.

According to the BBC, however, researchers from University College London have developed a system that could significantly accelerate that predicted time line. University scientists recently developed 'Active Book' implant chips, which bind to spinal nerves "like the pages of a book." Researcher Andreas Demosthenous told the BBC that the chips provide electrical impulses to the nerves in order to "stimulate more muscle groups than is currently possible." That reportedly presents significant, revolutionary benefits because "stimulation of more muscle groups means users can perform enough movement to carry out controlled exercise such as cycling or rowing."

Continue reading Implanted Electrical Impulse Chips Could Mobilize the Paralyzed

SwitchedImplanted Electrical Impulse Chips Could Mobilize the Paralyzed originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accessibilityChipImplantdisabledfutureMindControlMuscleStimulatorParalysisTreatmentparaplegicsciencetopUniversityCollegeLondonWed, 24 Nov 2010 08:15:00 EST<![CDATA[China Debuts World's Fastest Supercomputer, Leaves U.S. in the Dust]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/10/28/china-worlds-fastest-supercomputer-u-s-left-behind/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/28/china-worlds-fastest-supercomputer-u-s-left-behind/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/28/china-worlds-fastest-supercomputer-u-s-left-behind/#commentsTianhe-1A China just knocked the U.S. down a notch by unveiling the Tianhe-1A, the world's fastest supercomputer. Chugging along at just over 2.5 petaflops, the supercomputer outpaces the former title holder, the Cray Jaguar, which can plow through calculations at 2.3 petaflops. The Tianhe-1A is powered by 14,336 Intel CPUs and 7,168 NVIDIA GPUs, which should make for one hell of a gaming rig.

SwitchedChina Debuts World's Fastest Supercomputer, Leaves U.S. in the Dust originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinacray jaguarCrayJaguarintelnvidiapetaflopsuper computerSuperComputertianhe-1atopThu, 28 Oct 2010 14:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Boeing Develops Helicopter-Airplane Hybrid for DARPA]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/10/27/darpa-discrotor-helicopter-airplane-hyprid-boeing/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/27/darpa-discrotor-helicopter-airplane-hyprid-boeing/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/27/darpa-discrotor-helicopter-airplane-hyprid-boeing/#commentsBoeing develops aircraft for DARPA initiative. As part of a DARPA initiative, Boeing is developing a search-and-rescue aircraft that combines a helicopter's hovering capabilities with an airplane's long flight range. According to Aviation Week, Boeing will test a 20-percent scale model of the disc-rotor aircraft, called the CSAR DiscRotor, in a wind tunnel sometime next year. The aircraft uses rotor-mounted blades, much like a chopper, so that it can both take off and land vertically. But, once it has taken flight, the aircraft retracts its blades into the disc, and becomes a fixed-wing craft, able to cruise long distances at high speeds with little air resistance. When the aircraft is in this mode, it uses two turboshaft engines to generate forward thrust. The DiscRotor would theoretically be able to reach speeds of 360 knots with a radius of 400 nautical miles while carrying a payload exceeding 2,400 pounds.

Of course, those are only the specs for a concept version of the aircraft, and, as with many DARPA initiatives, it's possible that this project will never even come to fruition. Then again, it sounds a lot less crazy than those mind-control helmets or that demonic robot dog.

Continue reading Boeing Develops Helicopter-Airplane Hybrid for DARPA

SwitchedBoeing Develops Helicopter-Airplane Hybrid for DARPA originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aircraftairplaneboeingconceptCsarDiscrotordarpaflightflyingfuturehelicoptermilitarytoptransportationWed, 27 Oct 2010 07:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Weather Balloon Servers Could Take Pirate Party to the Air]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/10/25/pirate-parties-weather-balloon-servers/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/25/pirate-parties-weather-balloon-servers/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/25/pirate-parties-weather-balloon-servers/#commentsOne would think that the first place the Pirate Party would go to avoid the authorities would be international waters, but the copyright-flouting movement is thinking of ditching the sea for the clouds. According to Forbes's Andy Greenberg, the Pirate Party has announced its intention to launch a server via weather balloon in order to escape any legislation threatening its operation on the Earth's surface.

The plan is the brainchild of the Pirate Parties International (PPI), an umbrella group of the Pirate Party movement focused on intellectual property reform. PPI plans to launch a solar-powered balloon with an onboard computer built by the open-source manufacturer Gumstix. The signal would be read from the ground with Skygrabber software, famously used by Iraqi insurgents to steal enemy drone feeds from the sky. It's a lofty goal (literally), and Greenberg is skeptical that the pirates would be able to surmount the technical and logistical hurdles that lie between them and airborne sovereignty.

Continue reading Weather Balloon Servers Could Take Pirate Party to the Air

SwitchedWeather Balloon Servers Could Take Pirate Party to the Air originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andy greenbergAndyGreenbergfilesharingfuturepiracypirate parties internationalpirate partyPiratePartiesInternationalPiratePartyservertopweather balloonWeatherBalloonMon, 25 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese Humanoid Bot Busts a Move And Sings Onstage]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/10/19/japanese-humanoid-bot-busts-a-move-and-sings-onstage/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/19/japanese-humanoid-bot-busts-a-move-and-sings-onstage/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/19/japanese-humanoid-bot-busts-a-move-and-sings-onstage/#commentsHRP-4C robot singing It might not pose a threat to Lady Gaga -- yet -- but the HRP-4C dancing robot busted an untethered move at Tokyo's recent Digital Content Expo. The humanoid bot, which is being developed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, took the stage with a group of backup dancers to offer folks a glimpse into the future of robotics and, possibly, pop music. Not only can te HRP-4C bot dance, albeit very stiffly, but, as we wrote last week, it can also sing and mimic human expressions thanks in part to a creepy and realistic face. Come to think of it, that's more than most Auto-Tune reliant pop stars can do these days.

Continue reading Japanese Humanoid Bot Busts a Move And Sings Onstage

SwitchedJapanese Humanoid Bot Busts a Move And Sings Onstage originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dancingdigital content expoDigitalContentExpohrp-4cJapanmusicpoprobotRobotstopweirdTue, 19 Oct 2010 07:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Completes First Piloted Glide Flight]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/10/11/virgin-galactic-space-ship-two-completes-first-piloted-glide-fli/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/11/virgin-galactic-space-ship-two-completes-first-piloted-glide-fli/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/11/virgin-galactic-space-ship-two-completes-first-piloted-glide-fli/#commentsvirgin galactic vss enterprise Virgin Galactic took a major step toward realizing the dream of commercial space travel yesterday when its SpaceShipTwo craft gracefully landed at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The landing marked the first piloted glide flight for the SpaceShipTwo, or VSS Enterprise, which was released from its mothership VSS Eve at an altitude of 45,000 feet. Manned by Pete Siebold and Mike Alsbury, the Enterprise successfully completed its two primary goals: to execute a clean release from the VSS Eve, and to make a clean landing in California. Siebold, meanwhile, achieved his goal of having fun.

"The VSS Enterprise was a real joy to fly," Siebold said. "Especially when one considers the fact that the vehicle has been designed not only to be a Mach 3.5 spaceship capable of going into space but also one of the worlds highest-altitude gliders." Virgin founder Richard Branson was also on hand to commemorate the landing, and heralded the event as a turning point in Virgin's history.

Gallery: Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo

Continue reading Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Completes First Piloted Glide Flight

SwitchedVirgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Completes First Piloted Glide Flight originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flightNewMexicopilotplaneRichardBransonspacespacecraftSpaceportAmericaspacetourismtopvirginVirginGalacticMon, 11 Oct 2010 15:25:00 EST<![CDATA[NELL, the Learning Computer, Teaches Itself from the Web]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/10/08/nell-the-learning-computer-teaches-itself-from-the-web/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/08/nell-the-learning-computer-teaches-itself-from-the-web/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/08/nell-the-learning-computer-teaches-itself-from-the-web/#commentsfacts from nell When separate groups of university scientists recently demonstrated the frightening capabilities of elusive, deceptive robots, the expected nerdly and ominous hyperbole immediately followed. Well, get ready for even more apocalyptic 'Terminator' doomsday references (particularly the "My CPU is a neural-net processor -- a learning computer" line). According to the New York Times, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, thanks to funding from Google and DARPA (of course), have created the Never-Ending Language Learning (NELL) computer system, which accumulates knowledge and makes contextual conclusions.

From a lonely basement home, NELL constantly surfs the Web, and classifies everything it scans into specific categories. It even makes accurate associations and decisions based on its information database. As one example of the adaptive system's capabilities, the Times reports, "Peyton Manning is a football player (category). The Indianapolis Colts is a football team (category). By scanning text patterns, NELL can infer with a high probability that Peyton Manning plays for the Indianapolis Colts -- even if it has never read that Mr. Manning plays for the Colts."

Continue reading NELL, the Learning Computer, Teaches Itself from the Web

SwitchedNELL, the Learning Computer, Teaches Itself from the Web originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiCarnegieMelloncreepydarpafuturegoogleLearningComputersnellsciencetopFri, 08 Oct 2010 06:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Eric Schmidt: Google Tries to 'Get Right Up to The Creepy Line', Not Working on Brain Implants (Yet)]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/10/04/eric-schmidt-google-tries-to-get-right-up-to-the-creepy-line/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/04/eric-schmidt-google-tries-to-get-right-up-to-the-creepy-line/http://www.switched.com/2010/10/04/eric-schmidt-google-tries-to-get-right-up-to-the-creepy-line/#comments eric schmidtWhy is Eric Schmidt so in love with the Singularity, and so determined to make Google the company that initiates our complete subservience to The Machines? We guess he just doesn't see it that way. Because, according to Schmidt, we have so many computers in our lives, "you're never lonely, you're never bored."

At the Washington Ideas Forum presented by The Atlantic, the Google CEO talked about American politics, Chinese industry and, most terrifyingly, the ethos and the future of his company. When asked about the possibility of Google developing an implant, Schmidt replied, "Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it." He remarked that implants probably cross that line ("at least for the moment, until the technology gets better," he said) but noted, "As far as I know, we do not have a medical lab working on implants... I will check after this."

Great! So Google is probably not working on brain implants for all of us. That means Google is our friend, right?

Continue reading Eric Schmidt: Google Tries to 'Get Right Up to The Creepy Line', Not Working on Brain Implants (Yet)

SwitchedEric Schmidt: Google Tries to 'Get Right Up to The Creepy Line', Not Working on Brain Implants (Yet) originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brainimplantcreepyEricSchmidtfuturegoogleprivacysingularitytopWashingtonIdeasForumMon, 04 Oct 2010 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[50 Years of Japanese Concept Cars Make Detroit Look Outdated]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/30/50-years-of-japanese-concept-cars-make-detroit-look-outdated/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/30/50-years-of-japanese-concept-cars-make-detroit-look-outdated/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/30/50-years-of-japanese-concept-cars-make-detroit-look-outdated/#commentsToyota EX-III Japan has been at the forefront of automotive design for quite some time. As if that point needed to be reinforced, Pink Tentacle has collected photos of Japanese concept cars dating back to 1957 that make even modern models out of Detroit look retro. Sure, some are completely impractical, but, if GM had ever made a car like the EX-III above, it probably wouldn't have needed bailing out.

Gallery: Japanese Concept Cars

Switched50 Years of Japanese Concept Cars Make Detroit Look Outdated originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carcarscartechconceptConceptCardesignfuturehistoryjapantoptransportationThu, 30 Sep 2010 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Super Hi-Vision Footage Sent Over the Internet from U.K. to Japan]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/30/super-hi-vision-footage-sent-over-the-internet-from-u-k-to-japa/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/30/super-hi-vision-footage-sent-over-the-internet-from-u-k-to-japa/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/30/super-hi-vision-footage-sent-over-the-internet-from-u-k-to-japa/#commentsSuper Hi-Vision Some might consider a concert by The Charlatans to be a wasteful way to showcase cutting-edge technology. Not Japanese public broadcaster NHK, though, which will be filming the British alt rockers for the first public demonstration of its new Super Hi-Vision broadcast system Wednesday. This new "super HD" specification pumps out images at a staggering 7680-by-4320 pixels. That's 16-times the number of pixels produced by the current "full HD" standard, 1080p. The technology is so new that only three cameras capable of capturing the footage exist, and NHK had to build custom displays for the demo. That includes a 103-inch plasma set on which spectators in the U.K. watched the performance, while the band played in the next room. The concert was also broadcast in Japan on a giant screen for public viewing.

NHK hopes to have the technology ready for the 2012 Olympics. The broadcaster wants to install large public displays, so that crowds can watch the action even if they can't attend a particular event. Looking further into the future, NHK aims to start broadcasting Super Hi-Vision programming for home viewing in 2020. High-quality 1080p images are already impressive (and disturbing) enough. With Hi-Vision, we'll be able to make out every fine detail of each pore on the faces of TV personalities.

Continue reading Super Hi-Vision Footage Sent Over the Internet from U.K. to Japan

SwitchedSuper Hi-Vision Footage Sent Over the Internet from U.K. to Japan originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>charlatansfutureNHKSuperHdSuperHi-visiontopThu, 30 Sep 2010 06:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Invests $1M in Shweeb's Bike-Powered Monorail]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/28/google-invests-1m-in-shweebs-bike-powered-monorail/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/28/google-invests-1m-in-shweebs-bike-powered-monorail/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/28/google-invests-1m-in-shweebs-bike-powered-monorail/#commentsShweeb Monorail When you think of monorails, you probably conjure up images of the famed Disney World shuttle or of a super-fast bullet train rocketing across Japan, not about recumbent bicycles housed in plastic tubes dangling from some roller coaster-like track. The latter is essentially what the folks at Shweeb have created, though, and Google thinks the idea is good enough for the company to invest $1 million in it. Shweeb placed in the top five of the Project 10^100, a Google-funded competition to identify ideas that "help," for "helping" to reinvent urban transport.

The concept places pedal-powered pods on a track, but, unlike trains, the enclosed bikes produce no pollution, and can theoretically move faster than a bicycle on the ground (about 28 mph). The promo video after the break was taken from a facility in New Zealand that currently attracts tourists, but Shweeb hopes to use the Google cash to give the system a serious test in an urban environment.

Continue reading Google Invests $1M in Shweeb's Bike-Powered Monorail

SwitchedGoogle Invests $1M in Shweeb's Bike-Powered Monorail originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bicycledesigngooglegreenmonorailpedalpowerProject10100shweebtoptransportationTue, 28 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Airbus Envisions Invisible, Ceramic-Skinned Planes in 2050]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/20/airbus-envisions-invisible-ceramic-skinned-planes-in-2050/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/20/airbus-envisions-invisible-ceramic-skinned-planes-in-2050/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/20/airbus-envisions-invisible-ceramic-skinned-planes-in-2050/#comments Airbus recently published the forward-looking "The Future, By Airbus" (PDF) report, chock full of concepts and cutting-edge ideas about the future of flight. Airbus engineers explore hydrogen as a fuel source in the 'cryoplane' concept, and mention both biofuels and solar power as alternatives. An invisible plane concept -- hardly a new idea, as Wonder Woman has been flying one for over 60 years -- promises to turn a plane's ceramic-skinned fuselage invisible by hitting it with an electric current. Airbus head of research and technology Axel Krein told Der Spiegel, "Passengers in an airplane like this would experience flight in a completely new way." While such 360-degree views won't be terrorizing acrophobics anytime soon, an extra bag of pretzels, free luggage check-in and an extra inch of leg space are radical innovations we'd love to see now.

Gallery: Airbus

SwitchedAirbus Envisions Invisible, Ceramic-Skinned Planes in 2050 originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AirbusairplanedesignengineeringflightinvisibletopMon, 20 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Boeing Plans to Send Tourists Into Space via Capsule by 2015]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/17/boeing-plans-to-send-tourists-into-space-via-capsule-by-2015/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/17/boeing-plans-to-send-tourists-into-space-via-capsule-by-2015/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/17/boeing-plans-to-send-tourists-into-space-via-capsule-by-2015/#commentsBoeing CST-100 commercial flight capsule. While it's out of the average person's price range, commercial space flight continues to move forward as government-funded space flight withers with a struggling economy. According to Space.com, Boeing, along with partner Space Adventures, plans to sell passenger seats aboard its Boeing Crew Space Transportation-100 spacecraft, which will make its first test flights by 2015. The cone-shaped CST-100 capsule measures about 15-feet across, and can carry up to seven people. It's designed to launch atop an expendable rocket, and the capsule will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) and planned private space stations.

Setting a ticket price is a long time away, but a Boeing representative said pricing would be comparable to Space Adventures' Soyuz spacecraft, which was launched by the Russians. For a comparison, Canadian billionaire Guy Laliberte spent about $40-million in 2009 for a seat on that spacecraft. But the cost of a seat aboard the CST-100 will also depend on how many trips a capsule can make before being replaced, as well as the cost of the rocket used to launch it. More government support could also help to lower costs, since the project began with an $18 million NASA grant as part of its Commercial Crew Development Space Act Agreement.

Gallery: Boeing Space Transportation

Continue reading Boeing Plans to Send Tourists Into Space via Capsule by 2015

SwitchedBoeing Plans to Send Tourists Into Space via Capsule by 2015 originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BoeingBoeingSpaceFlightsflightGuyLaliberteNASAsoyuzspaceSpaceTourismSpaceTraveltoptourismFri, 17 Sep 2010 08:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Easy E-Reading: The Ventral Route and the End of Experimental Text]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/15/easy-e-reading-the-ventral-route-and-the-end-of-experimental-te/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/15/easy-e-reading-the-ventral-route-and-the-end-of-experimental-te/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/15/easy-e-reading-the-ventral-route-and-the-end-of-experimental-te/#commentstristan tzara on kindle Wired's Jonah Lehrer recently spoke to neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene, who explained that our brain uses two processes to interpret the written word: the "ventral route" for fast reads, and the "dorsal stream" for difficult verbiage. Cohort Tim Carmody then weighed in, wondering about Lehrer's analysis and why ventral-oriented e-readers won't be mediums for avant garde texts. What will the Marinettis and Mallarmés of the future use?

SwitchedEasy E-Reading: The Ventral Route and the End of Experimental Text originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f.t. marinettiF.t.Marinettijonah lehrerJonahLehrerneurosciencereadingstanislas dehaeneStanislasDehaenestephane mallarmeStephaneMallarmetim carmodyTimCarmodytopWed, 15 Sep 2010 08:10:00 EST<![CDATA[XWave Headgear Brings Mind Control to Your iPhone]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/08/xwave-headgear-brings-mind-control-to-your-iphone/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/08/xwave-headgear-brings-mind-control-to-your-iphone/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/08/xwave-headgear-brings-mind-control-to-your-iphone/#commentsiPhone headset promises mind control functionality. A new iPhone accessory promises to bring mind-control capabilities to cell phones, signaling the future of laziness handhelds. The PLX's XWave headset sets you back $100 bones, but lets you control several apps with your brain by reading electrical signals via a sensor placed on your forehead. Upon its October launch, the XWave will work with a few first-party apps that teach users to levitate an onscreen ball, change the screen's color or cycle through a music library. But PLX Devices will also release a software development kit, so that third parties can come up with interesting new uses for its device.

For folks who don't have use of their hands, this accessory could let them surf the Web or send text messages. Like the Wii or the iPhone before it, motion-controlling technology has been implemented in surprising ways, like teaching babies to move or monitoring heartbeats. Maybe the XWave can push things forward... telepathically.

SwitchedXWave Headgear Brings Mind Control to Your iPhone originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>futurehead gearHeadGeariphonemotion-controlplxThoughtControltopwearablesxwaveWed, 08 Sep 2010 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Scribe, the Language Oracle, Knows (Mostly) What You're Going To Say Next]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/08/google-scribe-the-language-oracle-knows-mostly-what-youre-g/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/08/google-scribe-the-language-oracle-knows-mostly-what-youre-g/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/08/google-scribe-the-language-oracle-knows-mostly-what-youre-g/#commentsa screenshot of google scribe The mad programmers at Google Labs have come up with another bizarre (and possibly sinister) new Web application called Google Scribe. Like Google's auto-suggested search terms that appear as you type, Scribe looks at the language you've used to determine the most likely word to follow. For example, if you type "Google Scribe" into its text field, the app will suggest "is a software" to follow that initial phrase.

But we also find it interesting that Google is attempting to reduce language to a set of cliches or frequently used phraseology. You can turn off the suggestions (though we're not sure why would would), which pop up in a box as you type and include the ten words or phrases that Google thinks you're most likely to use next. Interestingly enough, Scribe gets it right often, especially with simple phrases like if/then constructions. Creepy.

Continue reading Google Scribe, the Language Oracle, Knows (Mostly) What You're Going To Say Next

SwitchedGoogle Scribe, the Language Oracle, Knows (Mostly) What You're Going To Say Next originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArtificialIntelligenceautocompletegooglegoogle labsgoogle scribeGoogleLabsGoogleScribelanguagelinguisticstopwebWed, 08 Sep 2010 14:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Sensor-Controlled Tower 'Breathes' to Save Energy, Eliminate Office Tornadoes]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/02/sensor-controlled-tower-breathes-to-save-energy-eliminate-off/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/02/sensor-controlled-tower-breathes-to-save-energy-eliminate-off/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/02/sensor-controlled-tower-breathes-to-save-energy-eliminate-off/#commentskwf bankengruppe bullding A new skyscraper in Frankfurt, Germany has been outfitted with a "pressure ring" façade that, quite literally, allows the building to breathe. Unlike other German towers, which are mandated by law to include windows that open, the KfW Bankengruppe office building doesn't suffer from rip-roaring winds when a casement gets thrown open -- and neither does it endure the energy loss of older edifices.

The KfW tower, designed by architecture firm Sauerbruch Hutton, is expected to consume only a third of the energy consumed by a typical U.S. office building. A "pressure ring" composed of 180 vertical ventilators outside the inner façade responds to changes in air temperature, wind direction and speed throughout the day. A radius of carefully controlled air pressure, which prevents higher-altitude winds from entering, surrounds the building before being "exhausted into the building's core," according to FastCoDesign. An LED panel will suggest optimal times for workers to open the windows, although it's ultimately their own decision. But let's just hope that the computerized tower doesn't go haywire like the one that tried to kill Paul Reiser.

SwitchedSensor-Controlled Tower 'Breathes' to Save Energy, Eliminate Office Tornadoes originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>architecturefrankfurtgermanygreenKfW BankengruppeKfwBankengruppeoffice buildingOfficeBuildingpressure ringPressureRingSauerbruch HuttonSauerbruchHuttonSkyscrapertopThu, 02 Sep 2010 14:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Manor, Texas: Government Evolution or Fad Solutions in the QR Code-Connected Town]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/09/02/manor-texas-government-evolution-or-fad-solutions-in-the-qr-co/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/02/manor-texas-government-evolution-or-fad-solutions-in-the-qr-co/http://www.switched.com/2010/09/02/manor-texas-government-evolution-or-fad-solutions-in-the-qr-co/#commentsgoogle streetview image of jennie lane smartpark qr code Ponder, for a moment, this photo of a field in Manor, Texas. Outside Jennie Lane SmartPark, which is also the home to the town's farmers' market, hangs a large QR code that directs both residents and curious passersby to this website, which gives a brief history of the land and its re-dedication from "park" to "SmartPark." The SmartPark now boasts free Wi-Fi and "technology training classes," all a part of Manor's government tech upgrade that began back in 2008.

With an estimated population of 5,468, Manor is still a small town. But its upgrade -- including services like a redesigned city website, a Web app for reporting street and water issues called SeeClickFix, and a crowd-sourcing website for new ideas called Manor Labs -- has made news as representing the evolution of local government into the Internet age. Manor will be hosting a two-day tech conference later this month called manor.govfresh, where city officials will meet with other municipal governments about its programs, and will even give another town -- De Leon, Texas -- a "Gov City 2.0 Makeover."

Continue reading Manor, Texas: Government Evolution or Fad Solutions in the QR Code-Connected Town

SwitchedManor, Texas: Government Evolution or Fad Solutions in the QR Code-Connected Town originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barcodesde leonDeLeonlocal governmentLocalGovernmentmanormanor labsmanor.govfreshManorLabsQR codeQrCoderecessionseeclickfixtexastopThu, 02 Sep 2010 13:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Pentathletes Will Fire Laser Guns During 2012 Olympics in London]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/27/pentathletes-will-fire-laser-guns-during-2012-olympics-in-london/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/27/pentathletes-will-fire-laser-guns-during-2012-olympics-in-london/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/27/pentathletes-will-fire-laser-guns-during-2012-olympics-in-london/#comments While FIFA will probably never embrace technology in the World Cup, some sporting events are warming up to its potential benefits. According to the BBC News, athletes competing in the pentathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London will shoot laser guns rather than the traditional air pistols used in past games. The switch reduces cost, for one, since laser guns won't use ammunition or air cartridges when fired. It will also make the sport safer, and, in turn, open it up to new venues, both indoors and out. The laser gun technology debuted in June at the World Cup pentathlon final in Moscow. After another successful trial at the inaugural Youth Olympics, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) president Klaus Schormann gave the technology the green light for the 2012 games in England.

With the Olympics embracing the 'pew pew'-nature of lasers, more outdated sporting events (ahem, World Cup) won't be able to ignore how technology is making the pentathlon both safer and cheaper.

SwitchedPentathletes Will Fire Laser Guns During 2012 Olympics in London originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012 summer olympicsGunslaserlaser gunlaserslondonlondon 2012London2012olympicspentathlonshootingsportstopFri, 27 Aug 2010 07:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Disney Augured a Creepy Tech Future, EFF Breaks Down the Net Neutrality Debate]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/08/11/disney-augured-a-creepy-tech-future-eff-breaks-down-the-net-neu/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/11/disney-augured-a-creepy-tech-future-eff-breaks-down-the-net-neu/http://www.switched.com/2010/08/11/disney-augured-a-creepy-tech-future-eff-breaks-down-the-net-neu/#comments
There's a load of great tech news happening out there every day, and, unfortunately, we just can't cover it all. Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web.
  • This amazing video, which is called 'Magic Highway USA' and was produced by Disney in 1958, speaks of our future in glowing terms, but its eerie prescience caused Wired's Bruce Sterling to label it "sinister." Whether or not you agree (we do), you have to sigh at the fact that the researchers behind this chirpy cartoon imagined that technology would only make our lives easier -- when, in reality, more tech just leads to new problems. [From: Wired]
  • In case you haven't been following the Net neutrality debate, especially with the recent proposal by Google and Verizon for a two-tiered Internet, the Electronic Frontier Foundation breaks down the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of the tech giants' suggested plan. According to EFF's Cindy Cohn, limited FCC jurisdiction is great, but governing ill-defined "lawful" content doesn't sit so well with her at this point. [From: EFF]
  • Speaking of prescience, many nerds are aware that the iPad was prefigured by the PADD, or Personal Access Display Device, from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.' Ars Technica got hold of the designers behind TNG's fictional interfaces, and found that user experience was just as much of a design concern on the show as it was for Apple. "[By] imagining that software could re-configure the interface as needed, the writers were able to imagine any function that needed to advance the plot...." Deja vu! [From: Ars Technica]
Got a tip? Want to talk to us? In need of more choice links like these? Drop us a line on Twitter and check out our Tumblr blog.

SwitchedDisney Augured a Creepy Tech Future, EFF Breaks Down the Net Neutrality Debate originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bestoftherestcartoondisneyfccfuturegoogleipadMagicHighwayUsaNetNeutralitypaddPredictionsStarTrekStarTrek:TheNextGenerationtopverizonWed, 11 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Eyephone' Lets Your Eyes Control Your Phone]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/05/24/eyephone-lets-your-eyes-control-your-phone/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/24/eyephone-lets-your-eyes-control-your-phone/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/24/eyephone-lets-your-eyes-control-your-phone/#commentsFiled under:

Eyephone
Apparently, using fingers to navigate a smartphone is just too much trouble. According to MIT's Technology Review, researchers at Dartmouth University have developed a system that allows users to operate a cell phone with their eyes. Cleverly dubbed Eyephone, the system, which you can see in action in this video, divides the phone's screen into nine areas, and identifies when the eye is focused on a particular spot. The user simply moves the phone until the eye is lined up with the desired icon, and then blinks to select it. During tests, Eyephone, which currently runs on a Nokia n810, was 76-percent accurate during daylight hours when users were standing still, and 60-percent accurate when they were walking.

However, there are still some major hurdles to clear before this technology could become available to consumers. The existing algorithms, which identify a person's eye under different conditions, aren't very accurate, largely due to the movements of both user and phone, changes in lighting and other conditions. Because of a cell phone's screen size and average distance from the user, eye movements are extremely subtle, which makes gestures harder to detect. But if this technology can be fine-tuned, eye-tracking systems might provide yet another alternative to the old mouse and keyboard combo. [From: Technology Review]

Switched'Eyephone' Lets Your Eyes Control Your Phone originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 24 May 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cellphonecellphonesdartmoutheyeeyephonefutureGesture ControlGestureControlinterfacemobilenokianokia 810Nokia810researchsmartphonesmartphonestoptouchscreenMon, 24 May 2010 13:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Design Concepts: The Office We'll All Soon Come to (Gulp) Love]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/05/20/design-concepts-the-office-well-all-soon-come-to-gulp-love/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/20/design-concepts-the-office-well-all-soon-come-to-gulp-love/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/20/design-concepts-the-office-well-all-soon-come-to-gulp-love/#commentsFiled under:

Hook Wall by Jean Nouvel for Methis
The Web is teeming with the unrealized ideas of both students and established designers who set out to produce astonishing renderings and prototypes for unusual products. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, money or technology, many of those products never progress from the planning stages to the mass market. But that doesn't mean we can't salivate over them, nevertheless.

We've never really focused on office design concepts. We've given you desk inspirations, of course, but thinking about being in the office of the future... well, that's just not something we like to imagine. (When aliens land in 2012, we're hoping they'll either enslave us all, or hand over technology that will automate everything we ever need. Either way, no more cubicles!) But we have to be realistic. With the economy looking the way it does, we'll probably all be working until we're 90. On the plus side, we'll be sitting in fancy, visionary offices -- bedecked, we hope, with some of the following concepts.

Continue reading Design Concepts: The Office We'll All Soon Come to (Gulp) Love

SwitchedDesign Concepts: The Office We'll All Soon Come to (Gulp) Love originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 20 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ClaessonKoivistoRunedesigndesignconceptsdigilogdurapulpElectronicImagingScreenfeaturedfutureHookWallJeanNouvelJustinOconorledMessageBoardmethisMikeClareofficePaperTaskLightpromorfidrisdSoon-wonKimUsbDrivewastbergZhangWeiThu, 20 May 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Scientists Bury 'Digital DNA' Deep Inside a Swiss Fort Knox]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/05/20/scientists-bury-digital-dna-deep-inside-a-swiss-fort-knox/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/20/scientists-bury-digital-dna-deep-inside-a-swiss-fort-knox/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/20/scientists-bury-digital-dna-deep-inside-a-swiss-fort-knox/#commentsFiled under:

Digital DNA deposited underground

Preparing for the very real need to access defunct digital formats, European scientists have buried a "key" deep inside a bunker as part of the ongoing $18.5 million Planets initiative to protect history. According to Reuters, scientists culled information from 16 archives, libraries and research institutions, and built a time capsule in order to preserve digital formats, which are changing at a rapid pace. "The time capsule being deposited inside Swiss Fort Knox contains the digital equivalent of the genetic code of different data formats, a 'digital genome'," Adam Farquhar, one of the scientists behind the capsule, told Reuters.

Most hardware has a lifespan of less than five years, digital files are good for about five-to-seven and CDs and DVDs can last around 20 years. So, if 100 years from now, we want to read research or interpret data that is currently stored on a hard drive, we'll need "digital DNA," which would work as a guide to decoding these older formats. Farquhar explained to Reuters that while most of Einstein's notebooks can still be read today, 50 years from now, most of Stephen Hawking's files will only be digitally accessible. It's essential to have access to data from previous generations, especially as the sheer volume of data created is expected to explode in the coming years as mobile devices continue to gain popularity. [From: Reuters/Fox News]

SwitchedScientists Bury 'Digital DNA' Deep Inside a Swiss Fort Knox originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 20 May 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>datadatastoragedigitaldnafutureobsoleteresearchsciencesecuritystoragetimecapsuletopThu, 20 May 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Design Concepts: Cutting-Edge Cameras]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/05/13/design-concepts-cutting-edge-cameras/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/13/design-concepts-cutting-edge-cameras/http://www.switched.com/2010/05/13/design-concepts-cutting-edge-cameras/#commentsFiled under:

Cutting Edge Camera Concepts Intro
The Web is teeming with the unrealized ideas of both students and established designers who set out to produce astonishing renderings and prototypes for unusual products. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, money, or technology, many of those products never move from the planning stages to the mass market. But that doesn't mean we can't salivate over their creations, nevertheless.

There's no getting around it -- we live in a camera-centric world. Every new cell phone on the market comes standard with a camera nowadays; photo-sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa and even Twitpic have revolutionized how our private memories become public. (To quote Betty White from her recent appearance on SNL: "In my day, seeing pictures of people's vacations was considered a punishment.") But we're past the point of no return, and you'll hear no lamentations from us. In turn, we decided to pull together a list of our favorite camera concepts from the past couple months, be they digital or analog or simply inconceivable. When you get sick of all that expensive, fancy and complicated DSLR machinery, just take a look at the designs below -- prototypes and one-offs that question camera conventions and what it means to take a good photo.

Continue reading Design Concepts: Cutting-Edge Cameras

SwitchedDesign Concepts: Cutting-Edge Cameras originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 13 May 2010 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aerial photographyAerialPhotographycameracamerasdesigndesignconceptsdigital cameraDigitalCameradslrevan jardeeEvanJardeefeaturesfuturefuture camerasFutureCamerashand.dijaroslav juricaJaroslavJuricamatthew clarkMatthewClarkpeekfreakphotographyphotosPinholeCamerapolaroidpolaroid instant cameraPolaroidInstantCamerarubikontopwai lamWaiLamyann hueyYannHueyzo woo geunZoWooGeunThu, 13 May 2010 14:10:00 EST<![CDATA[NASA Eyes Crazy Single-Person Flying Aircraft for Transport]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/24/nasa-eyes-crazy-single-person-flying-aircraft-for-transport/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/24/nasa-eyes-crazy-single-person-flying-aircraft-for-transport/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/24/nasa-eyes-crazy-single-person-flying-aircraft-for-transport/#commentsFiled under:

Trust us, there's nothing we'd like more than to zoom around the skies in a personal, electric aircraft. Of course, we've never held our breath. Some aerospace engineers at NASA, though, have given us reason to salivate. According to DVICE, NASA has designed an experimental, one-man, electric aircraft called Puffin. It's ten times quieter than a helicopter, can fly 300 mph, and has a range of 50 miles. (Engineers say that flight range could triple by 2017.) The Puffin is similar to a jetpack, but it has a cockpit, boasts dual propellers on each wing, and, we assume, is much safer. However, there's no word on how much experience you'd need to cruise the wild blue in one of these bad boys.

While we're still not quite ready to hold our breath until this aircraft hits the market, we do have one request for NASA, in hopes that it will become commercially available. Please, change the name. If the aircraft had to be named after a bird, why not something cool like hawk or vulture? A puffin, which is a small seabird, doesn't exactly jibe with the idea of flying through the sky at 300 mph in a prone position. After the break, check out a CG video demonstration of the Puffin in flight. [From: DVICE, via: Ubergizmo]

Continue reading NASA Eyes Crazy Single-Person Flying Aircraft for Transport

SwitchedNASA Eyes Crazy Single-Person Flying Aircraft for Transport originally appeared on Switched on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aerospaceaircraftairplaneengineeringflightfuturenasapuffinsciencethe puffinThePuffintopSun, 24 Jan 2010 11:14:00 EST<![CDATA[Design Concepts: Bright, Brilliant and Bold LED Dresses]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/01/20/design-concepts-bright-brilliant-and-bold-led-dresses/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/20/design-concepts-bright-brilliant-and-bold-led-dresses/http://www.switched.com/2010/01/20/design-concepts-bright-brilliant-and-bold-led-dresses/#commentsFiled under:


The Web is teeming with the unrealized ideas of both students and established designers who set out to produce astonishing renderings and prototypes for unusual products. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, money, or technology, many of those products never move from the planning stages to the mass market. But that doesn't mean we can't salivate over their creations, nevertheless.

One of the best indicators of the shift from one era to the next is fashion trends, and nothing says future like tech-inspired dresses. We've seen an explosion of LED-embedded frocks hit the Internet over the past few months, and we can no longer dismiss them as mere experiments gone awry. While tech and fashion have fused in the past, we think that we will soon start to see this kind of synthesis in the mainstream. While they're no great indicators of taste, just think of the LED belt buckles that were in style a couple years back. And, on the other end of the taste spectrum, we have Hussein Chalayan's futuristic couture and Viktor and Rolf attaching floodlights to their runway models. Face it: Tech invades every facet of life, fashion being no exception.

Continue reading Design Concepts: Bright, Brilliant and Bold LED Dresses

SwitchedDesign Concepts: Bright, Brilliant and Bold LED Dresses originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adruinoconceptdesigndesignconceptsdiffusdresselizabeth fullerElizabethFullerfashionfeaturesfrancesca rosellaFrancescaRosellafuturegareth pughGarethPughLEDpolyphotonixryan genzRyanGenzstijn ossevoortStijnOssevoorttopWed, 20 Jan 2010 12:45:00 EST