The DODOcase comes in granite/poppy, meadow/lake, tahoe/sunrise, and sandy/earth. They are handmade in San Francisco and the colors used were inspired by California’s natural hues. The cases themselves are made using traditional bookbinding techniques, which now includes a new solid bamboo core. The cases also double as a stand. If you are a fan of Rhodia and Moleskine notebooks, then you’ll probably like this book-like case for your new iPad.

They are available from DODOcase for $79.95(USD). For $4.95 extra, you can get a camera hole.

Mike Photoshopped them from his own personal photos and Star Wars images that he found on Wookieepedia. The stormtroopers are real and part of the 501st Legion Golden Gate Garrison troopers. You can check out the Flickr set here.

In the first image, an Imperial Star Destroyer is seen over the Bay Bridge at dawn. Apparently, the Star Destroyer is a highly detailed 3D model made by Ansel Hsiao from Fractal Sponge.

[via Make:]

Chapek is just one of the ‘bots who will be featured as part of BarBot 2010, the third annual festival of Cocktail Robotics!

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

If you’re lucky enough to be in San Francisco right now, you can pick up some tickets and swing by the DNA Lounge tonight (2/17) or tomorrow (2/18). If you’re lucky, you could actually get served by a robot bartender. Sounds kind of cool, especially if you like your drinks without too much commentary!

Robots and alcohol together at last! Sounds like Bender’s dream.

[via Make:]

It’s called Rods & Mods: The Kustom Kulture of Radical Computer Modification and it’s happening next February. Are PCs this generation’s muscle cars? It depends on who you ask. Most people enjoy having some sort of customization of their computer rigs.

Rods & Mods showcases custom cases, high performance computers, classics, extreme and experimental computers, as well as fringe computers, that go into fashion or medical applications.

Aesthetically, case mods are probably the easiest to judge. They go from ugly to beautiful. While most users hide their computer cases or towers, these are works of art. I’m actually more impressed by high performance computers, rigged to play the latest games and support multi-monitors.

It’s happening in San Francisco, from February 11 to 13, 2010 at the Exploratorium.

[via Make]

Valued at up to $1,895 a piece, each pass will get you into the entire show, including:

• All sessions (Wed – Fri)
• Workshops on Tues, April 22
• All keynote and plenary presentations
• The Expo and all events held in the Expo
• All conference networking events
• Web2Open
• Continental Breakfast & Lunch (Tues – Fri)

Here’s How to Enter:

Simply write a really clever or witty caption for the photo above (taken at a previous Web 2.0 Expo), and post it in the comments below. The best two entries (in my opinion) will win passes. That’s all you need to do. Be sure to provide a valid e-mail address so I can contact you if you are a winner.

Since the conference begins on Tuesday, April 22, and online registration ends this Friday at 5pm, this is going to be a very short contest. That said, entries must be submitted by 11:59pm Central time on Thursday, April 17th, 2008 to qualify. Each winning entry will receive a special code which can be redeemed for one full Web 2.0 Expo conference and workshop pass.

If you’re not able to get yourself to San Francisco for the conference, please don’t enter and let someone who can attend win and enjoy the show.

Created by interactive artist Scott Snibbe, Blow Up is comprised of two main pieces. On one side of the room is an array of 12 small impellers which act as a breath-controlled input device. On the other side of the room is a wall with a dozen powerful electric fans.

The impellers are electronically synchronized with the fans, which automatically adjust to match the direction and velocity input on the tiny controller. In addition to playing real-time “amplified” wind patterns, the system stores the most recently captured breath patterns and replays them in a loop until someone breathes a different pattern.

To really understand how it all works, be sure to check out this cool video clip Snibbe recently posted.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Blow Up was commissioned by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco back in 2005. Even though it’s no longer on exhibit, this is the first time we can all see it in action, all thanks to the magic of YouTube.

And no, this wasn’t done with computer animation. Danish director Nicolai Fuglsig really did this all in real time, with real superballs. The clip was shot over 2 days back in July 2005. Special compressed air cannons were used to blast balls into the air, and industrial earth movers dumped thousands into the streets.

The YouTube version really doesn’t do it justice. You can download the high quality version of the commercial here.