The 30th annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems is going on right now in Texas, and it looks like Microsoft is there in force. It’s showing off five new concepts in human computer interaction, from body part projection to sound wave control to motion-capturing antennas made of people.
via < … Read More → "5 new concepts in computer interaction from Microsoft Research"
On Monday, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles approved Google’s license application to test autonomous vehicles on the state’s roads. The state had approved such laws back in February, and has now begun issuing licenses based on those regulations.
The state previously outlined that companies that want to test such vehicles will need an insurance bond of $1 million and must provide … Read More → "Google gets license to test drive autonomous cars on Nevada roads"
This is the fifth in a series of Wired Q&As with spaceflight experts leading up to SpaceX’s launch. You can read the first, Read More → "Q&A: NASA engineer on historic SpaceX launch"
Back on April 22, residents of California and Nevada had their day interrupted by a series of sonic booms and a huge daytime fireball in the sky, products of an incoming minivan-sized asteroid that came slamming into the atmosphere, breaking up on its way to the ground. The fireball ended its descent in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where some chunks of the asteroid have been recovered. But a joint SETI/NASA team thinks there’s more … Read More → "NASA and SETI Rent a giant zeppelin to hunt for meteorite over Nevada"
Audi debuted two race cars in the Spa Six Hour race yesterday, to a perfect result – fielding two each of the new Audi R18 ultra and R18 e-tron (hybrid) quattro cars, the marque finished with a stunning 1-2-3-4.
In the end, it was the diesel-only R18 ultra which prevailed over the R18 e-tron quattro diesel-electric hybrid by 46 seconds. All cars ran strongly, and the hybrids in particular will benefit from … Read More → "Audi debuts two new race cars successfully – including a diesel hybrid"
Check out this lovely Solar Stella cigar box amp built by John Wilson of Minneapolis, MN.
via Make. More here.
The May 14, 2012, issue of The New Yorker is the “innovators” issue, with articles about the rise of drones in the United States, an artificial leaf that mimics the way plants convert solar energy, and a look at the promises and risks of geoengineering our way out of global warming. Plus, a beautiful cover by Bob Staake.
In “The Climate Fixers” (p. 96), … Read More → "The New Yorker: A Technological Solution to Global Warming?"
Sure, Kinect is cool. There’s definitely something to be said for waving your hands at a TV and actually accomplishing something. That said, the tech can still be kind of awkward and janky, and on top of that, gesture recognition systems and their cameras tend to be expensive, especially considering the general lack of fine tuning across … Read More → "Microsoft is working on gesture tech that uses only a microphone and speakers"
At 2:12 PM local time today, the MS Tûranor entered Monaco’s Hercule Harbor, becoming the first ship to travel around the world using only solar power.
It’s the same harbor where the Tûranor set out from more than 19 months and 37,286 miles ago. Since then, the ship has made port in six continents, fended off pirates and … Read More → "World’s first circumnavigation by solar powered ship a success"
