Gesture-controlled hacks are pretty cool, but that technology seems positively stone aged compared to something that actually reads your mind.

The Board of Imagination from Chaotic Moon Labs takes that extra step, reacting to your thoughts through brain wave reading sensors. All you need to do is to think about moving forwards, … Read More → "Mind-controlled skateboard reads your brain waves for directions"

This reading of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book Where The Wild Things Are by Christopher Walken isn’t meant to amuse kids, but rather to make us grown folks chuckle while we imbibe our bubbly adult beverages. And whether this is Walken or an impersonator doesn’t really matter, because the narrator’s descriptions of what’s going on in the illustrations are comedy gold.
via Neatorama

Synchrotrons are a type of particle accelerator—a family of machines that includes the famous Large Hadron Collider.

Different synchrotrons do different jobs. The Diamond Light Source synchrotron in the United Kingdom focuses on producing high-energy beams of light, which are used to aid all different kinds of scientific research—from microbiology to archaeology.
via Boing Boing

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… Read More → "Synchrotrons explained (with donuts)"

Reliable high-capacity energy storage is one of the major challenges we face in developing new electrical technology. From long-range electric cars to backups for variable-output alternative energy sources such as wind turbines, the need for inexpensive energy storage—both long- and short-term—will only increase. While chemical batteries are the primary way this is accomplished today, capacitors are also very common, although current models are hampered by their inability to store a lot energy without being prohibitively large in size. 

A new type of electrochemical capacitor based on graphene promises to break those … Read More → "A supercapacitor in your optical drive: DVD-RW used to burn graphene capacitors"

After 244 years reference book firm Encyclopaedia Britannica has decided to stop publishing its famous and weighty 32-volume print edition.

It will now focus on digital expansion amid rising competition from websites such as Wikipedia.

The firm, which used to sell its encyclopaedias door-to-door, now generates almost 85% its revenue from online sales.

It recently launched a digital version of its encyclopaedias for tablet PCs.

“The sales of printed encyclopaedias have been negligible for several years,” said Jorge Cauz president of Encyclopaedia Britannica.

“We knew … Read More → "Encyclopaedia Britannica ends its print edition"

The doorbell can handle up to a 32GB SD card (not included) full of whichever songs or sounds your little heart desires. You can load up a horse neigh, some gangster rap, or “Star Trek” whooshing door noises.

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Best of all, you can set it to play “Never Gonna Give You Up” in order to Rickroll unsuspecting delivery people, family members, neighbors, and solicitors.
via Read More → "MP3 DJ Doorbell: Rickroll your unsuspecting visitors"

Germany’s Nurburgring is possibly the most famous racetrack in the entire world. Not only does it host racing competitions, but it also provides the ultimate testing grounds for new cars and prototypes – manufacturers from around the world travel to Germany to test their cars. Speedway Motorsports wants to make some of those journeys a little shorter, by building an exact replica of Nurburgring just outside of Las Vegas.
via Read More → "Replica of iconic Nurburgring racetrack proposed for Las Vegas"

This week the eyes of the tech world were firmly fixed on Austin, Tex. for South by Southwest Interactive. Partly because of that event, Austin is often mentioned with Silicon Valley and New York City as one of America’s great tech hubs.

Let’s not forget about Seattle. Cost of gas, energy, and real estate (not to mention natural beauty) are just some of the reasons why the Emerald city is not only one … Read More → "Is Seattle the next Silicon Valley?"

DARPA, the United States’ defense technology research agency that’s created such notable projects as the Internet you’re using right this moment, is now looking for help in creating a swarm of “disposable” eyes in the sky. It is seeking technical assistance from a wide range of fields – from auto racing to optics – to create the means to provide on-demand satellite imagery for troops on the front lines.

The agency’s SeeMe program (Space Enabled Effects … Read More → "DARPA wants swarms of “disposable” satellites to provide almost-live images on demand"