Monthly Archives: April 2013

Canada puts its robot arms on $5 bills, leads the space currency race

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Canada puts its robot arm on $5 bills, leads the space currency race

Americans like to tease Canadians about their colorful (and often animal-themed) money, but we think the tables might just have turned. When the Bank of Canada issues a new $5 polymer bill this November, one side will include both the Canadarm2 and Dextre manipulator robots in tribute to the nation's work on both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. Let that sink in for a moment: a country's currency will reference space robots alongside the usual politicians. The only thing dampening the awesomeness is the irony of it all, as it's an ode to technology in a format that's being destroyed by technology. Still, we'll consider the $5 note a victory for geeks everywhere when we're buying a box of Timbits.

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Source: Bank of Canada

Eavesdropping 2.0: Samsung, Intel and Telefonica invest in voice recognition tech that anticipates your every need

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Eavesdropping 20 Samsung, Intel and Telefonica invest in voice recognition tech that anticipates your every need

Human-machine interaction -- the term sounds so clinical, yet it's the most important relationship we need to foster in the 21st century. Which is why the venture arms of Samsung, Intel and Spanish telco Telefonica have sunk considerable funding into Expect Labs' voice recognition software, an investment the trio announced earlier today. The startup's prescient tech, known as the Anticipatory Computing Engine (or ACE, zing!), aims to guesstimate a user's actions or information needs by listening in on and analyzing real-time conversations. It's understandable if the prospect creeps you out -- it should -- but the end goal isn't to invade a user's privacy (though the data mined would be significant), it's to anticipate and assist.

That three major corporations with stakes in computing, mobile and home electronics would want to proactively invest in Expect Labs' tech is a no-brainer. Apple, Samsung and Google all already offer voice navigation services (to varying degrees of success) on smartphones and the potential for current smart TVs (defined by their internet connectedness) to get smarter and change channels or record programs independently would do well by their slack-jawed worshippers. What's more, practical applications for ACE aren't some far-off prospect; the tech could easily make its way into Samsung's next Galaxy S flagship. And then every other machine in your life not long after...

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Expect Labs

Lenovo unveils touchscreen ThinkPad S431, ships ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531

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Lenovo unveils touchscreen ThinkPad S431, ships ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531

Lenovo is giving fans of professional laptop chic a treat today: in addition to shipping the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531, it's unveiling one more model, the ThinkPad S431. The new Ivy Bridge-powered system is closer to the Edge S430 in spirit, carrying a similar 0.8 inches thick chassis, an aluminum lid and a thin-bezel design that stuffs a 14-inch touchscreen into a small body. It does carry the newer Edge line's unifying OneLink connector and gesture-friendly touchpad, although the svelter profile also involves some sacrifices -- the S431 tops out at 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, or about half what its peers can manage. The slimmer, touch-enabled design will also boost the asking price to $699 when the S431 ships in June, although the cost conscious can spring for the E431 and E531 today for a distinctly cheaper $599.

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Source: Lenovo (1), (2)

Cell Cake: Dibs on the Nucleus

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deviantART contributor/artist/bakologist Nicole William not only has two first names for a name, she’s also great at baking. Here’s a fondant cake she made for one of her biology classes three years ago. It’s a cross-section of an animal cell, complete with labels of its parts.

cell cake by nicole william

Mmmm… Giant edible animal cell.

I’m guessing whoever matched the label correctly got to eat the corresponding part.

[via Kitchen Overlord via Neatorama via Geeks Are Sexy]

The Fat Magnet Removes Fat From Food

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This is the Fat Magnet, a questionable device that supposedly absorbs fat floating around on top of food. Like… a paper towel, I guess? The product site claims that all you have to do is freeze it, then skim the food. The process allegedly removes all the fat, calories, cholesterol… basically all the good stuff. The reviews for the thing are pretty sad. Partially sad because, as I expected, the product is completely worthless. Surprise! But especially sad because those reviews confirm that there are people dumb enough to buy this thing. And that my friends, is the saddest thing of all. Okay, you’re right — other than starving kittens. Second saddest thing next to starving kittens.

The Fat Magnet Removes Fat From Food

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This is the Fat Magnet, a questionable device that supposedly absorbs fat floating around on top of food. Like… a paper towel, I guess? The product site claims that all you have to do is freeze it, then skim the food. The process allegedly removes all the fat, calories, cholesterol… basically all the good stuff. The reviews for the thing are pretty sad. Partially sad because, as I expected, the product is completely worthless. Surprise! But especially sad because those reviews confirm that there are people dumb enough to buy this thing. And that my friends, is the saddest thing of all. Okay, you’re right — other than starving kittens. Second saddest thing next to starving kittens.

Redact offers £10,000 if you crack its messaging app, bets UK government you can’t

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Redact offers 10,000 if you crack its messaging app, bets UK government you can't

Software developers looking to kickstart (or simply brag about) their security have a common trick up their sleeve: give away prizes to successful crackers. Redact is trying just such a strategy with its Secure Messenger app for iOS. It's offering £10,000 ($15,482) to anyone who can visit London and successfully intercept an encrypted message delivered through the company's peer-based, PIN-to-PIN communication system. Entrants have until June 1st to prove that they're worthy of making an attempt. Redact has more reason to hope we lose beyond its pride and a big fat check, however -- it wants approval for handling the UK government's secure data, and it wouldn't hurt to have proof that the app design is airtight. If you're convinced that it's all just bluster, you can challenge the company yourself at the source link.

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Via: The Guardian

Source: Redact

Tech Deals of the Day: 4/30/2013

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Our friends at TechBargains.com compile a list of daily deals to help you save money. Keep in mind that as with any good deal, products are limited in quantity and can sell out quickly – so don’t hesitate to check them out now.

If you’re looking to buy a product from a specific store, save money with updated and verified coupon codes here.

Computers & Peripherals:

Home Entertainment:

Personal Electronics:

Rinzsound creates Limited edition exotic speakers made from recycled glass

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Though in the world of haute couture, recycling perhaps is not the strongest existent themes as the lifestyle is more with opulence, by and large. But in the past and now, recycled art seems very much a part of the luxury lifestyle, with innovative objects of desire like the Fendi Formafantasama recycled leather collection, Neimen Marcus peacock table lamp. Rinzsound on the other hand, has gone the distance this time around by using recycled glass and other exotic leather varieties through ethically sourced means, to create the limited edition speaker set. Fabrication includes exotic leather varieties cream water snake and colored wild gazelle, combined with refined engineering to produce speakers sets of optimum quality. The sound reproduction is largely sharp and detailed, henceforth no compromises on that front.

Rinzsound exotic speakers from recycled glass and ethically sourced leather
Rinzsound exotic speakers from recycled glass and ethically sourced leather

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Vine update brings support for front-facing camera, mentions

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Couple of key updates for the 1.1 version of Twitter's pithy video app, Vine. First up is support for front-facing cameras, for those who can't get enough short web videos of themselves. Tap the icon in the lower-left corner of the app and it will toggle between your phone's cameras. Also new is mention support, so those tagged with an @ will get a notification when you drop their names into a post. The latest version is available now from iTunes -- perhaps a short video of you downloading the update is in order.

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Via: Vine

Source: iTunes