Archive for April 2014

Frozen has turned out to be one of the most popular movies Disney has put out in a long time. The films racked up big bucks, and the toys that go along with it have sold well.

When the first Lytro camera was announced, it looked pretty cute, but it was impractical because of its limited options. It was basically just a plaything. Now, however, Lytro wants to change this with the release of a camera designed for professional and prosumer shooters.

We have less than a year to go before Back to the Future II’s hoverboard prediction is debunked. But thanks to virtual reality, we might be able to simulate the feeling of riding a hoverboard. Game developer Kieran Lord aka Cratesmith recently showed off an early build of his hoverboard simulator for the Oculus Rift.

It’s a fact that staring at screens of all kind will strain your vision. However, there’s a new app that’s available for iOS and Android, which is supposed to help improve it. Fact or fiction? The Ultimeyes app was released for computers before it was launched for mobile devices.

The Iron Throne in Westeros is not supposed to be comfortable. Those swords that jab you when you sit in it keep you alert, therefore alive for another day. But who wants to poked and prodded by their own throne?

I’m not sure why a shape-shifting dog even needs a sword, but that’s Adventure Time for you. It doesn’t have to make sense to be an amazing cartoon. As you might expect, this sword is totally mathematical!

I’ve been wearing a Pebble Smartwatch over the last few months and a lot of the time, it’s annoying having something on my wrist. If you like the idea of a wearable fitness device, but you don’t want something so bulky, G-Wearable’s Goccia might be the gadget for you.

Owners of first-generation Apple TV set top boxes (sold from 2007 through 2010) have been reporting issues that are keeping them from connecting to iTunes. The issue is said to be affecting users of the original Apple TV around the world.

Those that aren’t drag racers may have no idea what the electronic line lock feature Ford has added to the 2015 Mustang GT is for. A line lock is a tool that locks the front brakes of the car to keep it in place while the rear wheels spin.

Over the last few days, there have been reports indicating that Nike’s Digital Sports Division had laid off most of its staff. The division is responsible for the FuelBand, which seemed to be doing quite well, but in fact, apparently hasn’t really taken off.

Ever since I found out about Tactus a couple of years ago I’ve been looking forward to trying out its tactile touchscreen technology. It looks like that time is close at hand. Tactus’ first consumer product is a case for the iPad Mini that adds its retractable buttons to the tablet.

We’ve seen all kinds of game controller plushies, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen one that can actually be used to play video games. Adafruit’s Becky Stern built the soft controller using their Flora Arduino-compatible platform and some conductive thread and fabric.

Microcontrollers and other electronics components have been getting smaller and cheaper. A company called Ynvisible proves that these parts can be made much thinner as well. The company recently launched a Kickstarter fundraiser for Printoo, a set of modular electronics that are paper-thin and flexible.

Watching a master at work is a great way to acquire motor skills. But it’s not that easy to keep an eye on someone else while looking at your own movements to see if you’re doing it right.

This amazing contraption you see here is a time machine. Before you get too excited, you should know that it doesn’t actually work, but that doesn’t make the feat any less awesome. That’s because it’s actually an incredibly detailed scale model of a fictitious time machine, created by a professional film and TV model maker.

Perhaps inspired by The Amazing Spider-Man 2, prop weapon maker Patrick Priebe made a couple of wrist-mounted weapons that are triggered just like Spidey’s web-shooters. One of the weapons shoots a tiny harpoon. It also has a winch that turns it into a Spider-Man and Scorpion mashup.