We’ve been pretty into Carnegie Mellon’s modular snake robots for a while now, and seeing as it’s a relatively sleepy Sunday we thought we’d share this latest video of snakebots just basically crawling all over the place and getting crazy. Bots like these have been getting some serious military attention lately, so watching these guys wriggle into any damn spot they please is at once awesome and terrifying. Or maybe it’s just the music. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Curtis]

Continue reading Carnegie Mellon’s robotic snake stars in a glamour video

Filed under: Robots

Carnegie Mellon’s robotic snake stars in a glamour video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via [Engadget]

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Someone Finally Figured Out What a 600FPS Camera Is For [Cameras]

This 600FPS video of slow motion Japanese boobs is mesmerizing.

There’s a reason why both Canon and Nikon are both made in Japan. And if you’re asking how I know this is Japanese without seeing the faces? Trust me, I can tell. [Boobieblog (NSFW) via Fleshbot (NSFW) Note: Video embed broken]

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Walt Mosspuppet, the Only Tech Journalist in the World [Media]

This is crazy. [Hoggwords via Fake Steve]

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Blonde Blows Bubble from CD [CD]

Watch this purty Russian blonde heat up and blow a CD to create a giant bubble out of it. She blows my mind. OK, too many bad puns here, but a good alternative if you are short of zubbles.

Some people are telling me this can’t be done with actual CDs, others say they can. I’ve seen a couple more videos in YouTube, but never tried it myself. Any experiences out there? [DRB]

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By now, you’re no doubt well acquainted with the Albert Hubo Einstein robot developed by the mad scientists at KAIST, but some researchers at the University of California, San Diego has also been working on their own Einstein bot for the past little while, and they’ve now managed to teach it some new tricks. While the bot has previously been able to display a full range of expressions through some pre-programmed facial movements, it’s now able to teach itself how to smile or display other emotions thanks to a new trial-and-error technique dubbed “body babble.” That apparently works by comparing Einstein’s attempts at an expression with some facial recognition software, which provides Al with some positive feedback each time he manages an actual expression. Did we mention there’s a video? Check it out after the break.

[Via Switched]

Continue reading Einstein robot learns to smile, teaches us how to feel

Filed under: Robots

Einstein robot learns to smile, teaches us how to feel originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Via [Engadget]

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Failed Mobile and Desktop OSes That Time Forgot [Retromodo]

In the wake of the Google Chrome OS news, it’s worth taking a look back at those other OSes that just didn’t quite make it. Not to say that Chrome OS is doomed, but these are murky, unforgiving waters.

Some of the products on this list were or are vital to the computing industry as we know it, especially the dearly departed Palm OS and the sure-to-infuriate-fanboys inclusion of Linux. But then…who the hell ever heard of Inferno? [Silicon Alley Insider via Switched]

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Acer’s dual-boot Android and XP netbook launching in August?

You remember Android right, Google’s other OS that actually exists? Well, Acer’s set to launch what could be the world’s first Android-based netbook in August. At least that’s what DigiTimes is reporting second-hand via Chinese-language Apple Daily. While two suspect sources won’t turn a rumor into fact, Acer’s already on record with plans for an Android netbook in Q3 in dual-boot XP configurations. So hearing that Quanta and Compal will have these out smack in the middle of the quarter isn’t much of a stretch.

Filed under: Laptops

Acer’s dual-boot Android and XP netbook launching in August? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Failed Mobile and Desktop OSes That Time Forgot [Retromodo]

In the wake of the Google Chrome OS news, it’s worth taking a look back at those other OSes that just didn’t quite make it. Not to say that Chrome OS is doomed, but these are murky, unforgiving waters.

Some of the products on this list were or are vital to the computing industry as we know it, especially the dearly departed Palm OS and the sure-to-infuriate-fanboys inclusion of Linux. But then…who the hell ever heard of Inferno? [Silicon Alley Insider via Switched]

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Lenovo IdeaPad S12 not-a-netbook sized up

The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 just started shipping last week, and it looks like units have begun to arrive — the folks at GottaBeMobile just posted up some quick impressions of their review unit. Sadly, it’s sporting Intel GMA 950 graphics instead of the NVIDIA Ion chipset that’s available for $50 extra, so it runs pretty much like every other 1.6GHz Atom machine with 1GB of RAM in the world. Hopefully those Ion units will arrive soon — in the meantime, hit the read link to see how the S12 stacks up against the S10. (Hint: it’s way bigger.)

Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo IdeaPad S12 not-a-netbook sized up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German Bargain Hunters Conned Into Buying Bag of “Potato iPods” [Thievery]

A group of German bargain hunters, obviously thinking they had stumbled upon the iPod deal of the century, would do best to stop bargain hunting because they’re about as dumb as the sack of potatoes they now possess.

The con was simple (and old): A group of British con men showed the German bargain hunters a few iPods, laptops and other gear as “proof” of their authenticity; offered to sell them hundreds of second hand iPods at basement prices; and then proceeded to hand over a 4-lb. sack filled with potatoes instead.

They made off with about $972 for their efforts, along with the knowledge that they probably took advantage of people who were about to take those “iPods” and resell them again for a high markup. Too bad, so sad!

Regardless, the Polizei are on the case, and there no doubt will be a very large, bitter serving of German potato salad on someone’s dinner table very soon—provided the authorities return their hard-earned wares, now evidence, in a timely fashion (pictured). [Orange - Thanks, Sigurd]

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