43436151
submission
fangmcgee writes:
What would you do if you had Google Glass? Impress the technology giant with your answer and you could be among the first to pre-order the device for $1,500. Google announced its “Glass Explorer” program on Wednesday alongside additional photos and videos that provide a truer-to-life look at the headset’s user interface. Applicants should use Google+ or Twitter to submit a description of how they’d use Glass in 50 words of less, together with the #ifihadglass hashtag. (Submissions can also include up to five photos and a 15-second video.) The fine print? You must be 18 years or older, a resident of the United States and, should you be shortlisted, be able to attend a “special pick-up experience” in New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.
43430221
submission
fangmcgee writes:
Making a ring from pocket change may be an old-hat concept by now, but for a web designer with no metalworking experience to take on the task of outfitting his fiancée? Now that takes amore. Michigan resident Richard Crawford decided that a store-bought wedding band would be too impersonal, so he decided to make one himself using a 1945 Canadian silver quarter from eBay. (His bride-to-be, elementary school teacher Sarah Bontinen, is Canadian.) Obviously he had to make do with whatever tools he had, but Crawford was also able to fashion a “very specialized jeweler’s tool” using a spoon and hammer.
42971897
submission
fangmcgee writes:
Anyone can sway to the rhythm of a catchy tune. But what if you could translate your body movements into actual music? That’s the idea behind Machina’s “MJ v1.0,” the world’s first jacket to combine a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) controller with flexible motion sensors to operate multiple digital music instruments, computers, and other devices simultaneously. It’s even designed to be hackable. The Mexico-based technology firm is working on a “hackstore” that will allow users to upload their own presets. Ultimately, you’ll be able to make the jacket do whatever you want: engineer beats, mix video, even play games. Forget learning the guitar—this is the future of making music.
42932445
submission
fangmcgee writes:
Sean Miles is giving the term “walkie talkies” a brand new meaning. The U.K. artist has created a series of “handsets” by embedding cellphones into the soles of various vintage shoes, including a Christian Louboutin heel, a Nike Air trainer, a classic men’s brogue, and a Hunter Wellington boot. No new cellphones were harmed in the making of the wacky devices: Miles worked with O2, a mobile telecommunications provider that also pays people to recycle unwanted gadgets, to transform outdated Nokia and LG models into fully functional—and wearable—works of art.
42773999
submission
fangmcgee writes:
Sruli Recht’s Autumn/Winter 2013 menswear collection has plenty to delight and astonish: polygonal militia jackets derived from walnut wood, sweaters composed of unwound lambswool skeins, and even Trojan Horse-like veneer boots with hinged openings. No item is more surprising, however, than the Icelandic designer’s “Forget Me Knot” ring, a one-of-a-kind bauble made with a swath of flesh from Recht’s own abdomen.
42566637
submission
fangmcgee writes:
At Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Monday, Dutch designer Iris van Herpen debuted what she dubbed as the "first 3D-printed flexible dresses": a dramatic skirt and cape created in collaboration with MIT Media Lab's Neri Oxman and Stratsys, and an intricate dress developed in conjunction with Austrian architect Julia Koerner and Materialise using laser-sintering.
42227345
submission
fangmcgee writes:
Rethink Robotics invented a $22,000 humanoid robot that could give cheap offshore labor a run for its money and return manufacturing jobs to U.S. soil.
42034653
submission
fangmcgee writes:
Body armor isn’t just for police officers or public figures anymore. In the wake of a deadly school shooting in Connecticut, a Colombian businessman has announced a line of bulletproof T-shirts, vests, and backpack-jacket hybrids geared towards the U.S. market. Although Miguel Caballero says the idea of marketing to children never crossed his mind in the two decades he’s been in business, he received so many inquiries since the December 14 massacre that the demand became impossible to ignore. “We would answer that we do not make clothes for kids. But the emails kept coming,” Caballero said.
41144003
submission
fangmcgee writes:
A Canadian camouflage-design company claims to be developing a real-life invisibility cloak that causes its wearer to vanish in plain sight. Likening its “Quantum Stealth” technology to Harry Potter’s magical coverup, the British Columbia-based Hyperstealth Biotechnology says the material tricks the human eye by bending light around a person or object. Although the firm has provided only “mockups” in lieu of proof of concept—CEO Guy Cramer says he cannot show the actual technology for security reasons—the company insists it has the backing of both the U.S. Pentagon and the Canadian military.
40520623
submission
fangmcgee writes:
A dystopian city populated by mindless drones, a mustache-twirling dictator, and a Katniss-like heroine leading a ragtag band of rebels. The ingredients for next summer’s blockbuster? Not quite. Greenpeace created the mock anime trailer as part of its “Detox” campaign to clean up the toxic fashion industry.
40329353
submission
fangmcgee writes:
If you’ve ever suspected store mannequins of knowing more than they let on, it might not be just your imagination. An Italian company known as Almax has developed a $5,000 bionic mannequin that employs the same type of facial-recognition software used to identify criminals in a crowd. Equipped with cameras in their eye sockets, the “EyeSee” dummies are designed to profile shoppers by age, gender, and race in much the same way online merchants do. The data, according to Almax, can help stores tailor their offerings, window displays, and even store layouts to appeal to their customer base and help boost sales. Our take? It’s more than a little creepy to have robots watch—not to mention record—your every move.
40187789
submission
fangmcgee writes:
If Marc Ecko’s “Chewbacca” hoodie isn’t the coolest faux-fur jacket in the galaxy, then it’s certainly the geekiest. Part of larger lineup of Star Wars-inspired threads, the chocolate-fleece number even includes our favorite Wookie’s signature bandoleer utility belt. The best part? On the off, off chance you tire of looking like a big walking carpet—why would you?—the hairy topper reverses into a Rebel Alliance bomber toasty enough for a trip to Hoth. (We’d keep a Tauntaun close-by just in case, though.)
39953447
submission
fangmcgee writes:
Think of Deo Perfume Candy as a breath mint for your entire body. The fragrance-releasing “edible deodorant,” a collaboration between Beneo, an American nutrition company and Alpi, a candy-maker from Bulgaria, is a rose-scented boiled sweet that claims to leave you smelling like a floral arrangement. The source of the scent? Geraniol, a natural substance found rose, geranium, lemon, and other essential oils. Like garlic, geraniol contains chemicals that cannot be digested. Instead, it’s secreted through the skin’s pores, resulting in a light, rosy aroma that is said to last for hours.
39924271
submission
fangmcgee writes:
Clothes that "talk" to Facebook aren't just fun and games. They could also provide first responders with critical, real-time information in times of emergency. With this in mind, a group of students at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology developed a jacket that uses a Bluetooth-enabled cellphone to communicate with the Internet, particularly social networks that can help large groups coordinate their efforts. Designed to be worn by firefighters and rescue workers, who typically don't have time to fuss with additional gear, the jacket features a built-in screen on its sleeve and a vibrating collar that alerts the wearer of incoming messages.
39797055
submission
fangmcgee writes:
The defensive slime of the hagfish, an eel-like marine animal, could provide a natural alternative to oil-based polymers that rivals spider silk in strength.
