technabob » talk

talking piano speaks in english: says it’s mad as hell about the environment, and is not going to take it anymore

technabob — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:26:52 +0000

File this under “weirdest use for a piano. ever.”. This amazing bit of programming and mechanical engineering has created what is probably the first and only classical piano that can speak in English.

The “Speaking Piano” has been programmed to recite The Proclamation of the European Environmental Criminal Court World Venice Forum 2009, for all to hear. Artist/composer Peter Ablinger transcoded the voice of an elementary student into data that could then be interpreted by a computer and mapped to servos that play the piano keys. Why? Something to do with an artistic and political statement.

And while the humans in the video clip below are speaking in German, the piano speaks its truth in plain English. Turn up your volume, watch, and enjoy…

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Weird, wild stuff indeed. Alles klar, herr kommissar?

[via adafruit industries, hack-a-day and matrixsynth]

talking heart mouse loves you, really.

technabob — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:00:25 +0000

Are you a lonely geek who thinks your only companion is your computer? Is your closest friend merely a text link on twitter? That’s okay. Because now, your mouse can now provide you with daily affirmation that you are truly loved.

That’s right. Leave it to the wacky Japanese to come up with this heart-shaped USB computer mouse that does one thing, and one thing only. It tells you “I love you.”

I’m not sure if it’s a masculine or feminine voice that speaks, so you may be in for a big surprise if there’s some burly guy with a deep voice inside the mouse. Unless, of course, that’s what you’re into.

Just click the scroll wheel and it lights up with a rainbow colored glow, and speaks those three little words that make it all better. They’re available from Rakuda for ¥2280 each (appx. $21 USD).

Now remember, you can love your mouse, just don’t LOVE your mouse.

cell phone booth shuts up chatty kathies

technabob — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:29:03 +0000

Sick of listening to throngs of robotic humanoids marching through the city streets gabbing away on their mobile phones? Tired of the Bluetooth Borg collective yammering into space, as if anyone cared about what they had to say? Here’s a brilliant concept that could put an end to all that annoyance.

This portable mobile phone booth straps on to the shoulders of each individual public speaker, keeping their conversations private, and keeping our world a little more quiet.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Boston artist Nick Rodrigues created the modern day version of Maxwell Smart’s Cone of Silence (more like a Cube of Silence) as part of a series which illuminates the odd and sometimes amusing interplay of technology and humanity. Rodrigues’ work is represented by R H Y S Gallery.

[via NOTCOT]

king titan robot walks, talks and generally looks badass

technabob — Mon, 28 May 2007 22:51:05 +0000

While this robot might just be a kids toy, it actually looks pretty cool. The King Titan Robot walks, talks, and has a shiny electroplate chrome finish that makes it really stand out.

King Titan measures about 15-inches tall and features removable weapons and armor. Unfortunately, it’s not programmable, but it does have some preset light and sound effects and little animated data monitor.

Best of all, the $40 robot is made by a company called the Happy Kid Toy Group Limited. How can you go wrong?

(FYI… the rendering above is a little exaggerated from the real version, which is a bit more chrome-like, with red LEDs instead of orange ones.)