Whether you’re in the mood for a film with a happy ending or feeling more like a Machiavellian finale, the MyndPlay media player delivers what you want … by reading your mind. The system consists of an electroencephalograph (EEG) headset and accompanying software dreamed up by London-based former The Apprentice star Tre Azam.
via Gizmag

< … Read More → "MyndPlay reads your mind to pick the perfect movie ending"

In the early afternoon of February 20, 1962, John Glenn climbed inside the cramped confines of Frienship 7. The spacecraft sat atop a modified Atlas missile, originally designed to ferry nuclear weapons towards targets toward the Soviet Union. However, in what might be the greatest triumph of the military-industrial complex, the rocket blasted off and made Glenn the first American in space, putting this country on the path to becoming a leader in space sciences.
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This is a free (activation required at no charge) PCB design alternative and is available from the Design Spark website. These are the sample people who sponsor the chipKIT Challenge.

As Design Spark describes it:

Free from practical constraints on board size, pin counts, layers and output types, DesignSpark PCB circuit design software can be used for schematic capture, PCB design, layout and generating manufacturing files. Multi-page schematic designs are supported and gerber (extended) file outputs allow the designer to choose who will manufacture the board.

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The integration of electronics with materials opens up a world of possibilities, the surface of which is just being scratched. Professor Arokia Nathan has joined the University to take up a new Chair in Engineering, where he will be exploring the application of research that allows us to glimpse a world rivaling our wildest dreams of the future.

The potential applications for nanophotonics and nanoelectronics are truly startling, suggesting the brink of a revolution in human–machine interfaces that could turn science fiction into a reality. From interactive paper to clothing that generates energy and … Read More → "Future robots could have complex electronic circuits embedded into their casings"

There may be a bit more room at the bottom, after all.

In 1959 physicist Richard Feynman issued a famed address at a meeting of the American Physical Society, a talk entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom.” It was an invitation to push the boundaries of the miniature, a nanotech call to arms that many physicists heeded to great effect. But more than 50 years since his challenge (pdf), researchers have begun to run up against a few hurdles that could slow the … Read More → "New nanowire breaks efficiency barriers"

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston have successfully tested a controllable endoscopic capsule, inspired by science fiction, that has the ability to “swim” through the body and could provide clinicians with unprecedented control when photographing the inside of the human body.

The capsule is designed to be swallowed like a pill and can be equipped with a camera. Once inside the patient’s digestive track, a doctor can “steer” the capsule through the body using an MRI machine, photograph specific areas of interest, and view those pictures wirelessly.
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Physicists have just created a working transistor out of a tiny phosphorous atom placed within atomic scale electrodes all within a silicon crystal. It’s the precision with which the atom and the other constructs are placed that is key to this breakthrough.

Previously single atom transistors only been achieved by chance or fine tuning multi-atom devices — and when the positioning is off even by& … Read More → "The single atom transistor: how they did it"

Sometimes it’s just not enough to see the major landmarks when you travel. In the back of your mind you know there is more out there — stuff that might be more interesting to you than your average bus tour. You want to see the gravesites of scientists, abandoned missile silos, museums of the macabre, observatories and much more.

 

Now you can plan these kinds of side trips for … Read More → "From geeks, for geeks: website to plan your nerd adventures"

Swooping through the trenches of the Death Star likely ranks high on every geek’s bucket list, but thanks to the global financial crisis, we likely won’t be seeing Dubai’s Death Star any time soon. Fortunately, the folks at NASA have rigged up a passable alternative — flying through a massive 19-mile crack across Antarctica’s Pine Island … Read More → "NASA simulates fly-through of crack in Antarctic glacier, takes you for a virtual ride"