… Read More → "Last night’s lunar eclipse was the longest lunar eclipse in the past century"

“For 25 years, the field of robotics has been bedeviled by a fundamental problem: If a robot is to move through the world, it needs to be able to create a map of its environment and understand its place within it. Roboticists have developed tools to accomplish this task, known as simultaneous localization and mapping, or SLAM. But the sensors required to build that map have traditionally been either expensive and bulky or cheap and inaccurate. Laser arrays cost a few thousand dollars and weigh several pounds, and the images they capture are only two-dimensional. Stereo cameras are less expensive, … Read More → "Kinect hackers are changing the future of robotics"

“An assassin waits for his target to walk into range, then presses a button on a radio transmitter, causing the target’s pacemaker to deliver a lethal dose of electricity. Such a scenario may be fictional for now, but as more and more medical implants are designed to wirelessly send and receive data, it becomes increasingly possible. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are certainly aware of the dangers of wireless attacks on implants, so they’ve developed a countermeasure – a wearable signal jamming device.” via Gizmag</ … Read More → "MIT designing a new system to protect medical implants against wireless attacks by unauthorized users"

“When Jim’s thirty year old Pachinko machine started to freeze up and shorted out his computer’s graphics card he decided it was time to replace the old electronics with an Arduino. Originally the Pachinko machine ran off a 48 volt supply and control was achieved using about 20 relays, the random numbers were generated using some complex mechanical reels which we hope will find their way into a new project in the future.” via Hackaday

Read More → "Thirty year old pachinko machine meets an Arduino"

“Under the hood, the Pocket HiFi C4 Pro uses CIRRUS Logic CS4398 Digital-Analog-Converter (DAC) and CS8422 SRC chip for a dynamic range of up to 120 dB, and a signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio of 108dB. it is capable of playing 24 bit/192 kHz WAV files, effectively bringing hi-fidelity to the portable world. the built-in headphone jack accepts both 3.5mm or 6.3mm plugs and features a built-in amp for 13.3mW of that extra oomph. you will also get SPDIF port for connecting this little portable hi-end device to stereo equipment.” via MikeShouts</ … Read More → "Pocket HiFi C4 Pro: portable media player for audiophiles"

“Pandora’s management team rang the opening bell today at the New York Stock Exchange. Pandora stock opened at $20 a share and started trading at $20.30 a share, giving the company a market capitalization of over $3 billion – not bad for a company that has never made a dime in profits and has been subject of negative press attention as such. The stock is trading at around $23 a share at the time of writing.” via GigaOM

Read … Read More → "Pandora goes public and is valued at over $3 billion dollars"

Rocking gently in his chair, he begins to sing: ‘I wanna be a billionaire so freakin’ bad. Buy all the things I never had. I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine. Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen…’ via Daily Mail

Daily Mail has a great interview with Bill Gates, where he opens up about everything.

Read More → "Bill Gates: a rare and remarkable interview with the world’s second richest man"

Having trouble focusing on your work due to constant interruptions at the office? Do you wish you had a completely private, secret office in your own backyard? Check out the OfficePOD:

OfficePOD via Geekosystem</ … Read More → "The autonomous OfficePOD"

“Google is emerging as the ultimate clean power sugar daddy. On Tuesday morning, Google announced it has made its largest investment in clean power to date, creating a $280 million fund for rooftop solar panel projects that will be installed by solar company SolarCity. The deal also represents Google’s first investment in residential and distributed solar.

Google has now invested $680 million into clean power projects, a size which rivals a large VC or private equity greentech fund or Department of Energy program. While Google’s investments in utility-scale centralized solar projects and transmission lines for … Read More → "Google invests $280M in SolarCity solar roof fund"

Does your dog like to run fast in circles in the park? You might consider equipping him with something like this:

Michael Zoellner of Elangen, Germany shared his project with Make. Read about it here.