Technabob » bug

Pray That the Mantis Chair Doesn’t Prey on You

Hazel Chua — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:30:59 +0000

It’s no secret that I have this insane and inane fear of insects. Cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets, preying mantis, you name it, and I’ll scream when I see it. This is all to the annoyance of my dad, who just swats at it or sweeps it out of the way when he sees one. So you’d probably understand my sheer refusal to sit on one of these Mantis Chairs, if ever I come across one.

I probably wouldn’t care if I had been standing the whole day or if my legs were cramping; I’d rather remain standing than sit in the arms (or legs?) of a gigantic, albeit wooden, preying mantis. This unique pest of a chair was designed by the folks over at Wildetect, who took inspiration from the African wilderness.

The chair doesn’t look comfortable at all, although I do have to admit that it looks pretty fine – if you’re into bugs. I can only imagine the reaction of other insectophobes like me when they walk into a dimly lit room and see the shadow of a gigantic mantis right there in the middle. I assure you, it won’t be a pretty sight (or sound.)

[via Yanko Design]

Glitchr Turns Website Bugs into Art

Range — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:00:20 +0000

To be honest, I no longer use Facebook enough to see any bugs. I basically check in and check out, within 10 or 15 minutes or so each time and never leave an open tab. That being said, just like any website, Facebook has got some bugs. Glitchr is a project that turns common websites into digital art, filled with textual artifacts.

You’ve probably done something like this, whenever Windows used to freeze up, you could drag a window around and create these sort of patterns on your screen. Well, Lithuanian artist Laimonas Zakas‘ Glitchr uses unicode characters to exploit certain programming bugs in popular sites such as Facebook.

While these glitches might seem harmless, some companies have already taken measures to ensure that their sites won’t be “glitchred”. For the time being, you can check out Glitchr on its Facebook page or its Tumblr site. No guarantee that the bugs won’t be fixed by the time you visit, though.

[via designboom]

Skyrim Giant’s Club Glitch Sends Followers to Beast Mode

Lambert Varias — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:00:23 +0000

I am still able to resist my destiny as a dragonborn, and hopefully I can hold out until the scary PS3 memory issue is fixed. But the Internet is draining my Anti-Skyrim field, as it’s riddled with all sorts of cool stuff about the game, like this funny glitch that lets your follower wield a powerful giant’s club.

The trick was found by tricky YouTuber Trix. You can find the giant’s club – the weapon, I don’t know if there’s a disco or an association of large people in the game – in a nondescript camp in a mountain that’s located roughhly between Whiterun and Windhelm. The thing is, you can’t pick it up, but your follower can. Watch the video to see all sorts of living things being giant’s clubbed.

In case you missed it, Trix mentioned something of note in the video. You can access the weapon early in the game, meaning you can have fun with it right away, but since the club’s damage rating scales up with your level, you’ll get a much stronger club if you wait until you’re a higher level before picking it up. Who knows, maybe at level 81 your follower will be able to send enemies flying through the air.

[via Reddit]

Skyrim + PS3 Save Bug = Lots of Lag

Conner Flynn — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:00:55 +0000

If you just got Skyrim for the PS3, you might want to hold off on playing the game until Bethesda releases a patch. This is because players are reporting that not only are they losing saved games, but as you progress through the game, you get more and more lag.

It apparently lags so badly at times that you have to stop playing. One temporary fix is to restart your PS3. Once you do, it will give you about an hour of play before the lag returns. The culprit may be the size of the saved game on the PS3′s hard drive. When it gets bigger than 5MB, the lag kicks in.

Hopefully Bethesda will be able to fix this and still have peoples saved games be just fine. Still, it may be better to wait for a fix before playing, just in case.

[via Geek]

HexBug Larva Robots Ready to Squirm into Your Life

Technabob — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:00:40 +0000

You may or may not know this about me, but I really dislike bugs. Not dragonflies or ladybugs, mind you, just the really creepy crawly type. And while it’s usually the ones with thousands of legs that really freak me out, larvae are about the next worst thing. Now, in case there weren’t enough actual larvae squirming around the planet, you can buy yourself a robotic one.

The latest HexBug robot looks like a nasty larva, except made out of plastic instead of whatever slimy stuff actual larvae are made of. What makes these things even more creepy is that they have robotic brains inside of them.

The 3.9″ long oversize larva robot slithers around on any smooth surface, with its tail wriggling from side to side. When it sees an object in its way, it automatically changes direction, and keeps on moovin’ and groovin’. Great. This thing is going to be able to avoid my attempts to kill it with Raid. Guess there’s always my shoe.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

These creepy crawlers are great stocking stuffers for kids, assuming they don’t actually leave them in their socks when they put them on. They’re also great for reproducing that scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where he puts that nasty bug in Chekhov’s ear (that scene is way better in German, BTW). Actually, kids, don’t put these in your ears.

You can grab the HexBug Larva here for $12.99 (USD) each. Just don’t buy me any.

Robot Venus Fly Trap Eats Bugs, Can’t Digest Them

Conner Flynn — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:00:42 +0000

Hey, bugs. I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that two prototype Venus Fly Trap robots have been designed with the ability to capture and eat real bugs and use them for energy. The bad news is that… two prototype Venus Fly Trap robots have been designed with the ability to capture and eat real bugs and use them for energy. Good news for humans, bad news for bugs.

They were designed as part of a joint project between the university of Seoul and Maine and are modeled after real life Venus fly traps. They are basically a pair of carbon fiber leaves attached to a spring. The design is very simple. One of the models uses shape-memory materials that can mold itself into two different shapes when a current passes through it. The other model uses artificial muscles made from nanomaterial. Same concept, different materials.

When an insect lands on the trap, the spring snaps and the jaws of the robot close, just like the real killer plant. I definitely want one for my home. Flies will be a thing of the past.

The robot is powered by a single battery, but doesn’t use any energy while dormant, so that battery should last a while. The weight of the insect landing on it causes the circuits to connect, which basically gives the robot the fuel it needs to do it’s thing. Unfortunately, it can’t digest the insect like the real version, but give these scientists some time and I’m sure they’ll work that out.

[via Walyou]

Insect-Powered Smartphones (and a Praying Mantis on a Unicycle)

Technabob — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:28:58 +0000

You know what I love about the whole viral video advertising trend? At least it makes advertisers and agencies look outside of the traditional blah 30- and 60- second ad spots that treat consumers like idiots, and instead to do something entertaining and attention-grabbing. Sure most produced “virals” are crummy, and at the end of the day, these spots are still commercials, but every so often one drops into my lap that makes me squeal like a little girl. This is one of those times.

The guys at Qualcomm put together this clip featuring a miniature circus, starring insects as the performers. But this isn’t some old flea circus. Nope, this is a high-tech big top, where the bugs perform daring feats to power a smartphone. Sure, it happens to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered smartphone, but I don’t care. It’s still awesome. I mean what was the last time you saw a praying mantis ride a unicycle? Or a tarantula on a treadmill? Never, right? But enough of my yakkin. Check out the video for yourself.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Wasn’t that great? The only thing better would have been better would have been to power the phones with Komodo dragons instead of insects, since that might have been more appropriate for the brand. Now I associate Snapdragon smartphones with a bunch of big bugs. Not the perfect message for a technology commercial, eh? Oh well. Still, it’s pretty damned awesome, so I’ll give Qualcomm a break.

Giant Circuit Board Dragonfly: Be Glad This Thing Doesn’t Fly

Technabob — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:54:10 +0000

I think I’ve mentioned this before – I’m not really crazy about insects. But for some reason, dragonflies have never really bothered me. They’re big, buzzy and clumsy, but they can’t do any harm, so maybe that’s why I don’t mind them. But if I ever saw a dragonfly with a 32-inch wingspan, I think I’d run the other way.

That’s exactly what we’ve got here. This giant dragonfly sculpture measures a whopping 32″ (w) x 28″(l) x 7″ (h). The coolest part is that it’s made completely out of discarded printed circuit boards. Not a single surface of this giant bug – including it’s six stick-legs – isn’t made of electronic part-encrusted circuit boards.

I love how the legs are made of integrated circuits, and those multi-faceted capacitor eyeballs are awesome. This big bug was lovingly crafted by Steve Rodrig of PCB Creations, and is a one-of-a-kind sculpture, perfect for that geek who also has a fondness for insects.

It’s listed right now for $400 (USD) over on Etsy. While you might think that’s a lot to spend on a bunch of old circuit boards, I think it’s actually totally reasonable for all of the work that must have gone onto building this thing.

P.S. Ignore my headline. I think it would be really cool if this thing could fly.

Fly Goodbye Bug Gun Sucks Bugs Alive

Technabob — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:23:27 +0000

Despite the fact that little boys are supposed to love playing with bugs, I’ve always disliked insects – especially anything ending in “pede.” I think all those legs just creeped me out.

But if your kids love insects, then you might want to buy them this gadget, which lets them suck up bugs and then study them up close and personal. The fly-goodbye gun uses pump-action suction to capture bugs into plastic cylinders, each of which keep your bug prisoners alive long enough to inspect them via a magnifying lens at the end of the tube.

Of course, you can also use it to suck up unwanted pests and let them loose outside (or cut off their air supply and put them out of their buggy misery if you’re feeling cruel). It’ll also sweep up dead bugs you just would rather not touch.

The Fly-Goodbye bug gun is available over at Gizmine for $59.95 (USD).

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Does It Bug You That There’s a Beetle Stuck on the Back Of Your iPhone 4?

Hazel Chua — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:30:49 +0000

I’ve seen a whole lot of quirky and out-of-this-world cases for Apple’s über-popular smartphone, but this one still managed to take me by surprise.

First, because I don’t really understand what could be going on in the minds of the people who came up with this. And second, because I couldn’t imagine who would want to put their iPhone’s in this little bugger.

There’s literally a giant beetle stuck on this case. But don’t fret, the Dokkiri (a Japanese beetle) isn’t real, thank goodness. It just looks pretty darn real.

However, I still wouldn’t want to carry around my phone in a case that’s got a big, plastic bug protruding on the back end. Nuh-uh.

If, for some reason, you’re interested and you’d like to own one of these cases yourself, then you can head on over to Strapya to order one for yourself.

Although now that I think about it, them nature-loving types would probably get a good kick out of dressing up their iPhones in these cases.

[via Crunch Gear]

Chrome OS Updates Fix Trackpad Woes

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 13:00:29 +0000

I have long though that offering up a major OS like the Chrome OS from a major company like Google, and then finding it had issues with the operation of something as basic as the trackpad meant someone needed to be fired. Seriously, how do you miss that the trackpad doesn’t work well in testing? Google has offered a new update for the OS that fixes those trackpad woes and adds in some other cool new features.

The updated OS adds in fixes for 3G modem activation, carrier connection fixes, WiFi connectivity improvements, and the trackpad and sensitivity have been adjusted. The OS has also had its power system optimized and lots more.

It’s nice to see Google is fixing things for the OS and maybe now that things work decently (I assume) we will see the OS actually get used on some netbooks we can actually buy. The new update brings Chrome OS to 0.10.156.46. That may be the most complicated system of numbering an OS version ever; I shall call it the dorky decimal system. Of course, my favorite thing about Chrome OS netbooks was when Google burned one up.

[via Techcrunch]

Skitterbot R/C Bug Robots Are Very Cool and Very Fast

Shane McGlaun — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:04:33 +0000

I’m a sucker for remote control toys and robots. My office desk and the toy room upstairs are littered with the remnants of all manner of R/C toys from cars to robots and flying whatnots. A cool new R/C bug robot has been announced called Skitterbot.

The Skitterbot looks a lot like beetle to me with six legs and a five-function remote control. That remote control will let the bug move forward, back, left, and right however the driver wants. The Skitterbot is crazy fast for a small R/C toy. It can scuttle along at a foot per second.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The bug itself charges from a USB connector that appears to be integrated with the remote control, which is common for this type of small RC toy. A 30-minute charge will give you 15-minutes of playtime. That practically guarantees that my kids will crash them into the walls and each other.

Skitterbots are available over on Amazon for $26.99 (USD) each.

Virtual Insects Crawl on Real Hands

Technabob — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:08:58 +0000

Spotted at SIGGRAPH 2010, this interactive art display might just look like a pile of sand, but stick your hands in it, and a variety of creepy crawly insects come to life.

Thankfully, these nasty many-legged creatures aren’t real. In fact, they’re digitally-projected images. Glowing Pathfinder Bugs was created by Anthony Rowe and Squidsoup. The interactive display lets you manipulate the sand to unearth insect colonies, then let a virtual bug crawl into your hand. it’ll follow your movements once you pick one up.

Here’s a video clip showing off the little glowing buggers in action:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Weird. Cool, but weird.

[via Core77]

Red Dead Redemption Bug: Pimp My Wagon

Lambert Varias — Sun, 23 May 2010 12:18:01 +0000

Did you know that lowriders have been around since 1911? It’s true! YouTube user gulpy3 found one such hydraulically-modified ride while playing Red Dead Redemption.

It seems like the wagon was a prototype though, and it’s modification was a bit…extreme:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Yipes. From lowrider to high flyer.

[via Fork Party]

Doctor Mobius’ Big Hairy & Scary LEGO Spider

Range — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:15:03 +0000

Jason Ruff, also known as Doctor Mobius, created this big hairy spider out of LEGOs. It’s pretty awesome and has thousands of hair spikes covering its body.

If that isn’t enough to give you arachnophobia, the spider comes complete with egg missiles and drones. Ever since I first discovered Spider-Man, I’ve had a weakness for spiders, so it doesn’t particularly creep me out.

What’s really amazing about this build is the amount of detail that went into it. It starts to make sense when you take a look at it closely, but it’s only then that you see what kinds of bricks were used to make this thing. Even so, it’s kind of amazing how un-LEGO-like this build looks.

[via Brothers Brick]

The Biggest Fly You’Ll See Today

Technabob — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:17:27 +0000

How’s this for truth in advertising…

This crazy thing could actually be the biggest fly you’ll see this year. Turns out this mammoth-sized bug was created by the guys over at Plunge Productions for a recent show on UK channel T4 called Red Bull Rivals.

The massive fly is actually a Red Bull Flugtag vehicle, which means that’s it’s designed to be plunged off of a cliff in a futile attempt to fly through the air.

As a matter of fact, the fly was eventually plunged into the drink for the recent Red Bull Flugtag in Marseille, France. Here’s an annoying little video clip from the show called “Fly School Musical” for your viewing pleasure…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While the white guy rapping in the video clip isn’t nearly as cool as the fly itself, at least you get to see the giant bug fly off the ramp in a brief cameo at the end.

It’s official – flies cannot swim.

Kikkerland Wind-Up Bots have More Legs Than You

Technabob — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:44:04 +0000

These fun wind-up desktop critters from Kikkerland are the perfect addition to any cubicle toy collection.

Designer Chico Bicalho’s MxyKikker crawler is my personal favorite, what with its dozen or so spinny elbow macaroni looking legs which help it move along your floor. Each of these unique creations has a slightly different way of ambling around, but they all are about as whimsical as can be.

Here’s a brief video clip showing off MxyKikker and his pal Bonga in action…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can find these guys, along with Kikkerland’s entire collection of creepy, crawly automatons over at their online shop. Prices range from $6 to $40 (USD), depending on the size and mechanical complexity of the critter you select.

Left 4 Dead 2 Update Fixes a Few Essential Problems

Alisha K. — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:47:53 +0000

Okay, I know. Bug fixes aren’t the most exciting thing in the world, but bear with me on this one. There are a few essential updates to Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam, and if you’ve been victim to one of these glitches, you’re probably jumping for joy. The first thing fixed? Games that wouldn’t start. I hear actually loading is pretty useful.

Oh, not so exciting? Alright, try this: in some scenarios, AI team members lollygagged around instead of firing at Jockeys and Chargers. Definitely annoying. Ellis needs to wade in there with his shotgun and save my butt if I have a Jockey on my face. So that’s fixed. Jolly good.

And yeah, right, there was one other little detail, too… let me see, here’s the official release:

Fixed bug where a burning witch could get into a state where she’s invincible.

What? Dudes, really: announce that one first. Seriously, everyone wants to burn the witch. We’re geeks, most of us; we love Monty Python and witch-burning hilarity is a sacred thing. If a burning, angry witch–already a formidable adversary–is unkillable, not only do I want that business fixed yesterday, but scream it from the roofops. HEY GUYS! You can totally kill those witches now. Sorry. Our bad.

Glad that’s settled.

Insect Lab Steampunk Bugs: Creepy Crawly Critters

Technabob — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:18:20 +0000

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of bugs – except maybe under my shoe – then they’re pretty cool. And these hybrid steampunk insects are enough to give me nightmares.

Created by Mike Libby of Insect Lab, these steampunk bugs combine mechanical components with REAL bug carcasses. Libby takes preserved insect specimens and delicately adorns them with watch gears, springs and other antique analog elements.

As these are serious Art (with a capital “A”), Libby’s insects aren’t inexpensive. The one-of-a-kind bugs cost anywhere from $400 to $2500 (USD) and more. If you like these, you can always pick up one of his 11″x14″ giclee prints for $120 each.

You can check out the full collection over at Insect Lab. Don’t blame me if you can’t sleep tonight.

[Thanks for the tip, Jay!]

Micro Air Vehicles Being Developed by Us Air Force, Terrorists Ready Their Fly Swatters

Lambert Varias — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:40:43 +0000

Tonight’s nightmare is brought to you by the US Air Force Research Laboratory and their Playstation 1 – era CG presentation of the Micro Air Vehicles project. Narrated by someone who sounds almost exactly the same as Metal Gear Solid’s Col. Roy Campbell, the video outlines the ideal capabilities of MAVs, which are basically robotic bugs and birds.

Similar to their natural counterparts, MAVs will be able to crawl, fly and work in swarms to achieve their goals. These goals can be anything from surveillance to detecting biochemical or nuclear weapons, and even… eliminating human targets by exploding upon contact. That’s where the similarity ends.

You gotta love the background music.

[via BotJunkie]