LCD Zoetrope Is a Beautiful Update To an Antique Toy [Video]

Before YouTube, TV, and even the movies, people were genuinely entertained by a device called a Zoetrope that played simple looped animations while it spun. The animations were created on strips of paper that were placed inside the inner circumference of the device—a process that's been made considerably easier with the Pristitrope's array of tiny LCD displays. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/k7JyK8BEi_E/lcd-zoetrope-is-a-beautiful-update-to-an-antique-toy

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Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8

classic shell make windows 7 look like xp
If you used Windows XP for a long time (who didn't?), one of the biggest changes when moving to Windows 7 or Vista was the massively-altered Explorer. While the new Explorer introduces some useful new features, it also removed just as many -- which is where Classic Shell comes in!

We've covered Classic Shell before, but here's the crib note: Classic Shell restores almost every Windows XP-era Explorer feature. The best change, in our opinion, is the reemergence of the 'up' arrow, meaning you now navigate without using the Windows Vista/7 'breadcrumbs' address bar. The status bar yet again shows the total size of your selection, and -- praise be! -- the diabolical Windows 7 Copy File 'copy and replace?' dialog has been replaced with a Windows XP lookalike (image after the break).

New to the most recent version of Classic Shell is the ability to make IE9 look like IE8. With Classic Shell the title bar yet again has a caption, so you can see the full title of Web pages. The current security zone and loading progress indicator have been put back into the status bar, too. If you enable 'Show tabs on a separate row,' it's almost like using IE8.

Finally, Classic Shell replaces the omnipotent Windows 7 Start Menu with the age-old 'classic' Windows 2000/XP-style Start Menu. Classic Shell makes the Start Menu skinable, too, if you're into the kind of thing.

As awesome as it sounds, we've only touched on a small section of Classic Shell's feature set. Check the Classic Shell site for a complete list. There's a few more images of Classic Shell in action after the break.

Download Classic Shell for Windows

Continue reading Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8

Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/classic-shell-makes-windows-explorer-and-ie9-look-like-their-anc/

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First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced

Firefox 5, 6, 7 and release channels
Mozilla's Engineering Project Manager, Christian Legnitto, has detailed the release schedule for Firefox 5, 6 and 7. If all goes to plan, Firefox 6.0a1 will be released next week, April 12, and Firefox 7.0a1 in the middle of May. The final build of Firefox 5 should be released on June 21, exactly three months after the release of Firefox 4.

Along with the faster 6-week release cadence, Firefox's new Chrome-like release channels have also been given names and anticipated update frequencies. The most notable change is the introduction of a new alpha channel -- which is analogous to Chrome Canary -- that will be called 'aurora' and will update nightly. Aurora will be where fixes and features are tested, and either approved for Beta, or backed out to Central. Aurora will have a new icon, too.

The Nightly (mozilla-central) channel will remain unchanged in name and frequency, but it will gain a new 'nightly icon.' The Beta (mozilla-beta) channel will remain as-is, with new builds rolling out weekly. The Release (mozilla-release) channel will also remain as-is, with security and stability updates coming every 6 to 12 weeks.

It should be noted that the names (including 'aurora') are not necessarily final, but it's unlikely that they'll change. We're also awaiting the arrival of the new 'channel switching' technology, which should arrive in the next few days -- in time for the release of Firefox 6 aurora!

First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/first-firefox-6-build-next-week-firefox-7-by-may-and-aurora-ch/

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Scan Documents Without a Computer with the IRIScan Anywhere 3

You don’t have to be tethered to a computer, or even to a wall power outlet, to scan documents and photos when you’re using the IRIScan Anywhere 3 scanner.  This portable scanner from I.R.I.S. has a built-in rechargeable battery so you can use the IRIScan Anywhere 3 at home, the office, or anywhere else.  Documents are scanned and stored as JPGs in the 512MB internal memory or on an SD card or a USB flash drive.  You can scan at 600 or 300 dpi with a scanning speed of up to 6 pages/minute for color or black-and-white.  You can scan up to 100 letter-sized pages on a single charge of the battery.  You simply plug the scanner to a USB port on your PC or Mac to transfer files from the internal memory, or simply insert the SD card or flash drive and copy files.  You can even copy files to your iPad with the optional connector.  The IRIScan Anywhere 3 comes with:

  • Readiris Pro 14, I.R.I.S’ OCR application (PC or Mac) that turns scanned files into fully editable and searchable documents that can be imported into PDF, Word, Excel and more (added value of $129).
  • Cardiris Pro 5 PC / Cardiris PR 4 Mac to manage business card contacts or imports them to Outlook, ACT!, Lotus Notes, Address Book, etc (added value of $99).

The IRIScan Anywhere 3 is available now for $199

Filed in categories: Home Tech, News

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Scan Documents Without a Computer with the IRIScan Anywhere 3 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2012 at 12:30 pm.

Rethinking the robot hand at Harvard (video)

Image

Should you ever find yourself needing to discuss the state of the robotic hand in the early 21st century, Harvard professor Robert Howe seems about as good a place to start as any. The professor founded the school's BioRobotics Laboratory in 1990 and has devoted a good deal of his time to the quest for perfect robot extremities. The last few years have seen a number of breakthroughs for Howe and his team including, notably, the SDM (Shape Deposit Manufacturing) hand, an adaptable and rugged robot gripper that utilizes a single motor to manipulate its eight joints. Such machines have, in the past, often relied on precise image sensing to determine the exact size and shape of an object, in order to configure their digits perfectly before attempting to pick it up. The SDM hand is a lot more forgiving. The pulley system at play distributes equal tension to the fingers in an adaptive transmission that allows motion to continue in other fingers, should one's movement be hampered.

The joints themselves are extremely compliant as well, adapting and conforming to the shape of an object, thanks in part to their ability to pivot in three dimensions. The Shape Deposit Manufacturing technology used to create the fingers, meanwhile, adds an important level of durability, letting Howe bang them against a table (a trick he happily performed for us) and expose them to water -- both features that are quite often absent in more complex (and far more expensive) models. The SDM technology, developed at Stanford, allows for the creation of fingers that are a single piece, with their parts embedded in plastic. The larger model shown off by Howe serves as great visual when describing the benefits of the single motor system, but the team has also developed a smaller version, with the requisite motors embedded in a far more compact chassis, which we also got a peek at.

The hand will likely be targeted at home and office use, with some key applications for assisting the disabled. Check out a video of Howe describing the technology to us during our visit to the school and a clip of the SDM doing its thing in the labs, which should help feed your desire to watch robot hands get banged by hammers.

Continue reading Rethinking the robot hand at Harvard (video)

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Rethinking the robot hand at Harvard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/-PfIZV4l71s/

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Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct generative augmented reality art for iOS
If you have an artistic temperament, but you weren't blessed with steady hands or an eye for color, Konstruct might be the app for you. Not only does the iPhone app let you produce generative art using words, warbles and whistles, but it also uses augmented reality to bring your artistic creation to life.

To get started, you first need to print out the Konstruct marker and place it wherever you'd like to create your AR sculpture -- it could be on your living room wall, or on the floor of your bathroom, it doesn't matter. Open the app, point your iPhone at the marker, and start making some noises! Once you're done, you can save your creation, or simply wipe the slate clean and start again.

The volume of your voice affects the size of the shapes that are drawn on the screen, and you can move your head around to alter the path of your 'brush' -- but to change the shape of your brush or modify the color palette you have to use a menu. Without knowledge of the app's internal workings, it's hard to say what the actual difference between whistling, talking and singing is -- and judging by the developer's affinity for whistling in the demo video (after the break), the app probably doesn't perform that much analysis on your input.

Still, Konstruct is just a prototype! A later version could do away with menus and rely entirely on the location, tonality, quality and amplitude of your voice -- and judging by the the words of the developer, James Alliban, there is definitely more in store for Konstruct: "The idea of transforming entire cities into user generated virtual art galleries really appeals to me. I see Konstruct as an early prototype that will hopefully be realised in this form in the future."

Download Konstruct for free from the App Store (iPhone 3GS and 4 only)

[Thanks to Richard for the tip!]

Continue reading Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/konstruct-for-ios-creates-generative-augmented-reality-art-with/

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Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday

windows phone 7
Happy first birthday, Windows Phone 7! One year on, and the fledgling mobile operating system has 36,000 active developers in its AppHub community, 1.5 million downloads of its Developer Tools, and 11,500 apps in its Marketplace.

Microsoft is quick to take a couple shots at competitors' app stores, beating its chest about not re-counting tanslations of an app or "lite" apps, "increasing tonnage" by supporting apps from other mobile platforms, and not listing wallpapers as a category.

That's all fine and dandy, but we spend a lot of time sifting through WP7 app feeds -- and we're still not seeing a lot of awesome apps on the platform. We think a few marquee apps would've made a pretty nice first birthday present -- along with a much smoother update process for WP7 users.

Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/microsoft-trumpets-windows-phone-7-numbers-on-first-birthday/

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New EU legislation requires cars to include autonymous braking system

New EU legislation requires cars to include autonymous braking system

While we're still a long way from living the fully autonomous car dream, baby steps are being taken. The EU evidently shares this dream, and has passed regulations that will require new cars to have emergency self-braking systems (known as autonomous emergency braking, or AEB) if they want to achieve a five-star safety rating. The systems can use radar, laser or video to detect when obstructions or pedestrians are present, and a recent study suggests that the technology reduces accidents by up to 27 percent. Commercial vehicles will have to sport the systems from November next year, and everything else from 2014. Safety aside, we're thinking that anything that can help prevent rear-ending our new ride, is definitely a welcome addition.

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New EU legislation requires cars to include autonymous braking system originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/GN8489-ZMQU/

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iOS 5.1 Upgrade Details

iOS 5.1The latest Apple operating system, iOS 5.1, to hit devices is pre-supplied with the new iPad. the new Os has been designed to fix a few bugs that were previously identified with iPads and iPhones, and also beings better battery life and WiFi connectivity. There are also a host of brand new features which are available on the new iPad 3.

The Camera App

The new camera is a massive upgrade on the iPad 2 and is something that many users will be attracted by specifically. Not only the camera hardware but also the new camera app itself has been redesigned with a view to allowing buyers to make the most of the massive 5MP camera and the new iPad’s revolutionary Retina display.

With iOS 5.1 there is also a change to the way the face detection works. This feature previously was only able to focus on one face per picture, which was perfect for individual portraits but not so good for group shots. It’s now possible to detest many faces in one photo, so group shots will be much easier to set up and the photographer can concentrate on composing the image instead of messing about with the settings.

Improved Photo Stream

A great new improvement under iOS 5.1 is the enhancements to the Photo Stream. Prior to this edition, users could not delete individual photos from the Photo Stream, which meant that if you were going to use it, you had to accept that along with your perfectly composed shots you would also get a bunch of blurry images and accidental photos of your feet. This really was a ridiculous oversight and put many people off using the Photo Stream service completely.

However with iOS 5.1 users can now individually select photos for sharing with Photo Stream and discard the remainder, rather than having to reset the whole stream of 1000 pictures every time.

Improved User Experience

iOS 5.1 brings with it a host of other updates which bring an enhanced user experience to the iPad. Sound quality has been greatly improved, meaning watching videos and movies and listening to music on the new iPad will be a more enjoyable experience.

Playback speed can now be controlled on each video, and a 30 second rewind function has been implemented. The Safari browser has some enhancements to its bookmark functionality, too.

And finally (and importantly for those who are using their iPad on the move and need to download and sync large files) the bandwidth limit has been raised – instead of the maximum 20mb download size previously you will now be able to download up to 50mb.

In conclusion, the new iOS 5.1 brings several important improvements and enhancements to the new iPad 3, but the OS features alone will not be reason enough for most people to consider upgrading to the new iPad 3.

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/ios-5-1-upgrade-details/

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