The House of Lords will investigate whether the UK's 'surveillance society' is unconstitutional. The Lords' Constitution Committee has asked for evidence in an investigation it has launched into surveillance in the UK.
Filed under: Robots
We've all heard the diehards claiming that the whales are the ones we should save, and thanks to an autonomous glider crafted by Webb Research, they're finally getting their wish. Recently, a trial was pursued in which a radio / satellite phone-equipped Slocum Glider was sent up to 200-meters beneath the depths in order to survey, pinpoint, and record location data for various whale pods swimming about. The device then surfaces and "phones home" the recently gathered information, which can then be disseminated out to ensure nearby vessels don't enter whale-packed territories. Jim Theriault of Defense Research and Development Canada, Dartmouth ran the experiment, and noted that this iteration of whale sensing and reporting improved on previous attempts by being uber-stealthy, featuring a remote data reporting system, and boasting a signal processor capable of tracking even the baleen whale's "lower-frequency call." Currently, the torpedo runs on batteries which last a month or so without needing a recharge, but future renditions are planned to scour the waters for "between five months and a year" by utilizing a special recharging gel. Look for these to hit your nearest ocean later this summer, and try not to be too alarmed when it surfaces beside your craft.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Filed under: Transportation
Continue reading Proposals would turn highways into wind farms
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Wearables
Pushing the envelope is what it's all about, and for companies cranking out Wiimote-like devices to make gaming and PC experiences more eventful, even that's not enough to satisfy a bevy of outfits with their eyes set on getting biofeedback into games. Companies such as Emotiv Systems, CyberLearning, and our old friend NeuroSky are all looking to take advantage of the public's current curiosity about thought-controlled (and influenced) gaming by offering up electrode-laced headsets that read a variety of brain impulses to effect gameplay. Essentially, these gel-free caps rely on technology such as electromyography (EMG), which records twitches and other muscular movements, and electrooculography (EOG), which measures changes in the retina, in order to change the way games are experienced. For instance, a nervous, uneasy GTA player would barely be able to aim at his / her enemies, while a daydreamer would have a hard time staying on course and reaching full speed while playing Gran Turismo. Unsurprisingly, said companies have noted that "finding their target markets" have been the most difficult aspect, and certain analysts rightfully question whether gamers would actually enjoy such "mentally taxing restrictions" on their games, but if all goes as planned, we should start seeing a few more options in the commercial brain-interface market before too long.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Filed under: Transportation
We understand, it's practically impossible to either bike everywhere you need to go or have your General Motors' Flex-Fit rack ready to rock when you're far from home, but the suitcase bike can seemingly tackle both of those issues with ease. Amazingly, the oft talked about, but hardly taken seriously Suitcase Bike has apparently been green-lit for production, and could be available to suckers interested consumers "later this year." While it shouldn't be too hard to guess, we'll do the honors anyway: the presumably hefty suitcase can morph into an unsightly form of transportation with just a few clips, folds, and snaps, and while public humiliation isn't necessarily included in the price, we can't help but imagine that it'll be bundled in whether you like it or not. Still, having a pair of wheels on your person at all times could certainly come in handy, so be sure you click through and catch the unfolding video to see if it's really worth the reported $399 asking price.Continue reading The Suitcase Bike finally unfolds, should hit production soon
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Any program which runs right is obsolete.