Gadget Reviews

Listen to Isaac Asimov talk prophetically about robots for 4 minutes

There’s something reassuring about the way Asimov speaks on this topic (surely one of his favorites) — even though this clip has got to be 35 or 40 years old, it rings true now and we would do well to take his advice. And how about that transcription? Like human beens indeed. It’s an interesting topic for post-brunch rumination: what would a world built around robots be like? Probably like that nightmare Korean theme park if we’re not careful.

[via Metafilter]

Predators, the 2010 remake of Predator: This won’t end well

Nowhereelse found what amounts to be a sneak peek for a new version of Predator, now called Predators which I suspect will eat les balles. Oh well.

Wheelie: Toshiba’s new robot is cute, autonomous and maybe even useful (video)

Toshiba is a huge company, but it’s not necessarily known as a maker of robots. Their “Wheelie” for indoor use is an autonomous, 2-wheeled robot, which is still in prototype stage and somehow reminiscent of a Segway in its basic design.

Technical details are scare right now, but the main purpose of the robot is to one day help families out with daily chores, for example by serving food. For that you need to place plates and glasses on top of the little guy’s head and he will do the rest by himself. And the way Wheelie can balance out differences in height is pretty impressive (skip to 1.50 in the video below).

Here’s a demo clip:

Via Plastic Pals

Daily Crunch: Light Capture Edition

Disney turns its Monorail into huge Tron light cycles
Instant film isn’t dead – it’s just weird and expensive
EA drops fat cash on The Old Republic
http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/03/11/the-playstation-move-everything-old-is-new-again-if-you-ask-sony/
Sic semper tyrannis: motion control in video games

NES game harmonicas let you blow on your cartridges for fun and profit

Who would have thought that all that practice blowing on NES games would pay off? Now all I have to do is learn how to play the harmonica really well, and I can finally quit this blogging business and begin the exciting and lucrative life of the hobo!

There are three harmonicas and three harmonicas only, people. Choose from Super Mario Bros 3, a gold Legend of Zelda, or Dick Tracy. Amazingly, SMB3 has the highest bid right now. I would think all those glamorous harmonica players would want to rock the gold.

The actual game PCB is included with the sale, though I’m not sure it’s a good idea to try to make it work without the cartridge. I’m just superstitious like that.

[via GoNintendo]

Top BitTorrent sites are not afraid of BitStalker

Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox are busy funding some new, super-duper anti-BitTorrent technology called BitStalker. The difference between it and other anti-BitTorrent systems is that it’s said to be accurate. That’s a huge development, actually.

The Man and those sycophant ISPs are sick and tired of punk kids downloading Valley of Neptune, despite the fact that it’s not 2005 anymore, and every kid under the age of 14 already knows how to do so with his eyes closed and while he’s doing his maths homework. To that end, they’ve enlisted the aid of BitStalker, which, unlike older anti-BitTorrent systems, is an active system. It doesn’t just sit back and try to sniff out your packets, but rather goes into there and actively looks. The difference between a “no drugs allowed” sign and a drug-sniffing dog. Worst metaphor ever? I’d say so.

The best part is that, even though this new BitStalker business is supposed to be so much more effective at detecting illegal BitTorrent activity, TorrentLeech spoke to a bunch of top BitTrrent sites (not to be confused with topsites) and found that they’re completely unimpressed with the technology. So while the BitStalker people can claim all sorts of magic claims, the fact is the people who would most likely be affected by it couldn’t give a toss.

Back to Real Madrid-Lyon.

CrunchCool: Russian Typhoon class submarine

Here’s something old, but definitely cool and worth showing you. Livejournal user Igor113 posted some pictures from his trip to… somewhere in Russia. He loves to travel and take pictures, and these are some extremely cool photographs of some rusted and cool equipment. Igor did apologize for the quality of his camera though, and requests that you don’t kick his legs.

The submarine pictures aren’t the only cool things on Igor’s site, he’s apparently traveled all over the EU and taken many many pictures of defunct Russian military vehicles and aircraft. I’d definitely recommend checking out some of his other posts as well.

DIY: Control your Hexapod robot with your iPhone

Check out this custom made iPhone app that robotics student Robert Stephenson created. Robert wrote this app to control his Hexapod robot using the the user inputs on the iPhone.

Roberst control method includes the touchscreen and accelerometers to manipulate the forward and reverse controls. Robert has done several videos about his project, it’s definitely worth looking at it you are into robotics and iPhone apps.

Portal 2 in Game Informer, scanned for your pleasure

I haven’t even looked at these yet. I saw them on Reddit and immediately came here to put them up. So that’s why this post is so short. Wait, I just read this: “Portal was a test bed. Portal 2 is a game. Ah jeah!

All these are in this month’s issue of Game Informer. Go to your local newsstand!

An Oscar win for Avatar tonight is a win for 3D technology as a whole

Tonight’s Oscars are as much about technology as they are good movies. Granted, movie-making has always been about embracing new technology—critics complained when movies first appeared, when they added sound, when they added color, etc.—but Avatar can be looked at as nothing more than a glorified tech demo. A win for Avatar tonight is a win for 3D technology, end of.

I write this not having seen any of the movies nominated for best picture. This year just seemed sort of “meh.” I did grab the movie Un Prophète, but the odds of me staying away from Napoleon: Total War long enough to closely watch it are pretty much non-existent. (Note: Napoleon: Total War is my Game of the Year so far. Unless Crysis 2 is as good as it looks, and unless Gran Turismo 5 actually comes out this year, which, well, the less said the better, it’ll probably stay that way. Worst constructed sentence ever.) But let’s put it this way: if Avatar was only a plain ol’ 2D movie, would it even have been nominated for the Oscar? Based on what I’ve read, no.

So, 3D. It’s going to be the savior of Hollywood, so they say. It makes going to the movie theater a fun experience, and discourages staying at home and watching, say, There Will Be Blood on Blu-ray on your 60-inch plasma. Well, until 3D TVs come down in price, but don’t expect that to happen too soon. Plus, based on what I saw at CES this past January (and having played Battlefield: Bad Company 2 in 3D last week), I’m going to say that your Avatar-like movie-going experiences are going to be unique enough that they’ll continue to be a draw, at least for a little while. Alice in Wonderland, also in 3D, did huge numbers this weekend, so there’s that.

But will it win, and should it win? The second point—should it win—is the more contentious question. It’s basically Pocahontas in Space (again, as I understand it), and if I wanted to see a movie that’s sorta based on Pocahontas, I’d see The New World again. (That reminds me to watch The Thin Red Line again soon. Now there’s a competent director.) Will it win? Is Avatar better than Hurt Locker? I’ve heard mixed things about Kathryn Bigelow’s film: some people love it, and others think it’s just OK. Precious? Inglorious Basterds? Neither of those are really the savior of Hollywood—how much money did James Cameron make everybody with his film?

Whether or not Avatar wins tonight, 3D technology is here to stay—we’ve already seen how sports networks have begun to embrace it.

One thing I do know: come 8pm tonight, I’ll probably be playing Napoleon: Total War and listening to Ron and Fez’s live Oscar coverage (there’s no way in hell I’m going to watch the actual Oscar ceremony) on Sirius XM satellite radio—maybe I’ll even join in on that Twitter party fun?

Oh, one more thing: FIFA stinks. That has nothing to do with anything, but whatever.