Google appears to be making the next step in its quest for robotics domination. Recently, Former Android chief Andy Rubin switched roles to lead Google’s robotics division, and the company acquired  eight robotics companies last year—including, most recently, Boston Dynamics, which has done work for DARPA and the Pentagon. Now Google appears to be building a “robotic operating system for manufacturers,” with Foxconn serving as a testbed, the& … Read More → "Google teams with Foxconn to build robots that replace human workers"

There could be salt water runnin’ in them thar Martian hills! At least that’s how NASA’s news Monday of new evidence of the potential presence of flowing salt water sounded to my ears here in the southern Rockies.

The above photo from NASA’s spacecraft orbiting Mars is a picture of dark markings that scientists say suggest seasonal flows down a slope, overlaid with colors from a mineral-mapping spectrometer observing the same region. … Read More → "NASA photos show possible flowing water on Mars"

Texas actor John R. Morales has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for possession of drugs, weapons, and generally not taking a bite out of crime.

The former crime dog was arrested in 2011 after he was pulled over for speeding (McGruff!) and police found blueprints for two marijuana-growing facilities on his front seat and marijuana seeds just chilling in … Read More → "McGruff the Crime Dog jailed for drugs, grenade launcher"

Friday is the beginning of Girl Scout Cookie season (not rabbit or duck season). After you’ve gorged yourself on 3 boxes of Thin Mints in as many minutes, wash down your shame with an appropriate beer or wine selection. Beer & Brewing rounded up suggestions from around the web for which beers or wines to responsibly consume with particular cookies. Here’s what the Beer Chicks recommend for Thin Mints:

< … Read More → "Beer and wine pairings for Girl Scout cookies"

It’s always a good idea to give your pets lots of exercise and freedom. But how does that work with a fish who are reliant on a tank full of water to live? That’s easy; you just strap its aquarium to an RC car and rig up a device that lets the fish steer.

Read More → "This fish is driving its own motorized aquarium"

Archaeologists have succeeded in breaking a Norse code that dates back to the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries. Runologist K. Jonas Nordby discovered how the code known as Jötunvillur works.Medievalists.net explains:

For the jötunvillur code, one would replace the original runic character with the last sound of the rune name. For example, the rune for ‘f’, pronounced fe, … Read More → "900-year old viking code broken. This secret message says “kiss me.”"

via xkcd

There’s little doubt in our minds that you’re familiar with Ed Cobb’s 1964 song “Tainted Love,” made insanely popular by the 1981 cover by Soft Cell.

What you’re not likely familiar with, however, is this cover of that cover from Gigawipf done by a series of disk drives. Press “Enter” to let this meta music cover load.
via Huffington Post

… Read More → "‘Tainted Love’ performed by disc drives"

… Read More → "Door based on rotating squares"

Researchers at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid are currently developing a new form of biometric authentication based on personal body odor. The Group of Biometrics, Biosignals and Security (GB2S), with help from the Spanish engineering consulting firm Ilía Systems Ltd, hopes that its work can used as a novel form of citizen security while also being used in the … Read More → "Researchers want your body odor to be your new ID"