Quadrocopters Throwing and Catching an Inverted Pendulum

 

 

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Quadrocopters Throwing and Catching an Inverted Pendulum

via Slashdot: Hardware by Soulskill on 2/22/13

derGoldstein writes "We've seen some very impressive aerobatics performed by quadrocopters before, but this is getting ridiculous. Robohub points to the latest advancement from the Flying Machine Arena, which developed algorithms that allow quadrocopters to juggle an inverted pendulum. One of the researchers working on it said, 'We started off with some back-of-the-envelope calculations, wondering whether it would even be physically possible to throw and catch a pendulum. This told us that achieving this maneuver would really push the dynamic capabilities of the system. As it turned out, it is probably the most challenging task we've had our quadrocopters do. With significantly less than one second to measure the pendulum flight and get the catching vehicle in place, it's the combination of mathematical models with real-time trajectory generation, optimal control, and learning from previous iterations that allowed us to implement this.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

 

 

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Sony announces PlayStation 4

http://osnews.com/story/26802/Sony_announces_PlayStation_4

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Goal Reached: 100,000 Signatures on White House Petition!

http://www.xda-developers.com/android/goal-reached-100000-signatures-on-white-house-petition/

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Asus Transformer Book hybrid now available for pre-order

http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/zMjRLmu2M7c/

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Retinal implant allows the blind to see again

http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/UPLtCc-jVmc/
Awesome!
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02/18/13 PHD comic: 'A serious matter'

 

 

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02/18/13 PHD comic: 'A serious matter'

via PHD Comics on 2/19/13

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham		www.phdcomics.com
title: "A serious matter" - originally published 2/18/2013 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

 

 

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Linux real-time scheduler SCHED_DEADLINE v7 released

http://osnews.com/story/26782/Linux_real-time_scheduler_SCHED_DEADLINE_v7_released

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Sea slug 'disposable penis' astounds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21431678#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Build-On Brick Mug combines coffee and Lego

:D

 

 

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Build-On Brick Mug combines coffee and Lego

via SlashGear by Shane McGlaun on 2/11/13

Two of the things that keep many people sane and alert are coffee and Lego. The coffee helps keep you awake while tinkering with Lego is just fun. ThinkGeek has unveiled what may be the coolest coffee mug in the history of coffee. The mug is called the Build-On Brick Mug.

The mug has a suitably blocky design perfect for fans of Lego bricks. It has an alternating arrangement of holes where you can poke various building blocks and the raised knobs where you can click your building blocks onto the cup. The mug is black in color and the building surface is compatible with most building block systems.

That means it will work with Lego, PixelBlocks, MegaBlocks, KRE-O, and K'NEX Bricks. However, the mug isn't officially licensed by any of those manufacturers. The mug is constructed using BPA-free plastic and has a capacity of 12 ounces. The mug isn't dishwasher safe so you have to hand wash.

This mug opens up the possibility of constructing all sorts of interesting coffee conveying contraptions using Lego technica and other building blocks. The coffee cup is available right now for $19.99. The best part of waking up is building your Lego cup.

[via ThinkGeek]

Build-On Brick Mug combines coffee and Lego is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

 

 

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02/04/13 PHD comic: 'Disturbance'

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1557

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Vomiting up a fortune

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/euronews/en/home/~3/DzZ8EyQxxsw/story01.htm

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Scientists create particles that are “nearly” alive

 

 

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Scientists create particles that are “nearly” alive

via SlashGear by Shane McGlaun on 2/1/13

A group of scientists have created a new synthesized particle in the laboratory that is able to act in a lifelike way. The researchers are quick to say that particles aren't truly alive, but they are able to behave in lifelike ways when exposed to light and fed by chemicals. When exposed to light and fed by chemicals the crystals are able to move, clump together, break apart, and reform.

Biophysicist Jérémie Palacci of New York University says that the line between active and alive is very blurry. Palacci and another New York University physicist Paul Chaikin are leading a group of researchers to develop the particles described as "living crystals" under the right conditions. The research being conducted by the team is in self-organizing collective behaviors.

The researchers say that studying these collective behaviors is easier in a controlled particle form than trying to study living creature such as schooling fish or flocking birds. Each of the tiny crystals is made from a cube of hematite, which is a compound made of iron and oxygen, covered in a spherical polymer coat. One corner of the hematite is left exposed.

When the particle is exposed to certain wavelengths of blue light, the hematite is able to conduct electricity. When those particles are placed in a hydrogen peroxide bath and the correct wavelength of blue light is shined on them, chemical reactions catalyze around the single exposed tip. Then as the hydrogen peroxide breaks down, the scientists say concentration gradients form. Random forces then pull the crystals apart, but the crystals eventually merge again. This process doesn't stop until the blue light is turned off.

[via Wired]

Scientists create particles that are "nearly" alive is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

 

 

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Visualized: a fish brain lights up while on the prowl (video)

http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/01/visualized-a-fish-brain-lights-up-while-on-the-prowl/

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Nestlé guilty of NGO espionage

Think before drinking a nes- prefixed beverage :P

 

 

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Nestlé guilty of NGO espionage

via euronews on 1/31/13

A Swiss court has found Nestlé guilty of spying on anti-globalisation group Attac. After the announcement of the judgement last week, Nestle and…

 

 

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UK bans sale of five alien plants

Anarchy in the UK after the invasion of the 5 evil alien plants ;) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305556/)

 

 

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UK bans sale of five alien plants

via BBC News - Home on 1/28/13

Five species of invasive non-native aquatic plants are to be banned from sale in the UK in an effort to protect native habitats, the UK government says.

 

 

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Why a Linux User Is Using Windows 3.1

 

 

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Why a Linux User Is Using Windows 3.1

via Slashdot: Linux by samzenpus on 1/28/13

colinneagle writes "About two weeks back, I was using my Android tablet and looking for a good graphics editor. I wanted something with layers and good text drawing tools. That's when it hit me. We already have that. Photoshop used to run on Windows 3.1. And Windows 3.1 runs great under both DOSBox and QEMU, both of which are Open Source emulators available for Android and every other platform under the sun. So I promptly set to work digging up an old copy of Photoshop. The last version released for Windows 3.1 was back in 1996. And finding a working copy proved to be...challenging. Luckily, the good folks at Adobe dug around in their vaults and managed to get me up and running. And, after a bit of tweaking, I ended up with an astoundingly functional copy of Photoshop that I can now run on absolutely every device I own. And the entire environment (fonts, working files and all) are automatically backed up to the cloud and synced between systems. But what other applications (and, potentially, games) does this give me access to? How far can I take this?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

 

 

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A Server That Can Fall From the Sky, and Survive

It's raining computers! Alleluia :D

 

 

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A Server That Can Fall From the Sky, and Survive

via Slashdot: Hardware by timothy on 1/27/13

alphadogg writes "A rugged server from NCS Technologies introduced on Friday can withstand drops, will work in extreme temperatures and can be deployed via parachute into crisis areas or war zones if needed. The Bunker XRV-5241 is a 1U rack server designed for organizations such as the military and first responders that need servers in rugged environments. The server has been tested to meet U.S. Department of Defense specifications for environmental, temperature and shock requirements." Hope they drop some hardened screens, too, to help with setup.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

 

 

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Recession, Tech Kill Middle-Class Jobs

http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotHardware/~3/yg6sCfD7wB8/story01.htm

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Alan Cox: Fedora 18 "The Worst Red Hat Distro," Switches To Ubuntu

http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotLinux/~3/dTD21JxlIz4/story01.htm

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Linux now has 'double' the market share of Windows

http://osnews.com/story/26724/Linux_now_has_double_the_market_share_of_Windows

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Most parents 'lie to children'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21144827#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
Parents are despicable (in general, exceptions exist)
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01/21/13 PHD comic: 'How your Conference Presentation Goes'

 

 

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01/21/13 PHD comic: 'How your Conference Presentation Goes'

via PHD Comics on 1/21/13

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham		www.phdcomics.com
title: "How your Conference Presentation Goes" - originally published 1/21/2013 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

 

 

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Child asthma 'drop' after smoke ban

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21067532#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
Cool :-D
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Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from ...

nicely done

 

 

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Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from Intel, more

via Engadget by Jon Fingas on 1/16/13

As much as it's important to have every component of a PC stuck together in a laptop, that same monolithic strategy is a major liability for server clusters: if one part breaks or grows obsolete, it can drag down everything else. Facebook and its Open Compute Project partners have just unveiled plans to loosen things up at the datacenter. A prototype, Atom-based rackmount server from Quanta Computer uses 100Gbps silicon photonics from Intel to connect parts at full speed, anywhere on the rack. Facebook has also garnered support for a new system-on-chip connection standard, rather affectionately named Group Hug, that would let owners swap in new mini systems from any vendor through PCI Express cards. The combined effect doesn't just simplify repairs and upgrades -- it lets companies build the exact servers they need without having to scrap other crucial elements in the process. There's no definite timeframe for when we'll see modular servers put to work, but the hope is that a cluster's foundations will stay relevant for years instead of months.

Continue reading Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from Intel, more

Filed under: Intel, Facebook

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Source: Open Compute Project

 

 

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A Humanoid Robot Named "Baxter" Could Revive US Manufacturing

Another presage of the impending apocalypse ;)

 

 

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A Humanoid Robot Named "Baxter" Could Revive US Manufacturing

via Slashdot: Hardware by samzenpus on 1/16/13

fangmcgee writes "Rethink Robotics invented a $22,000 humanoid robot named "Baxter" that could give cheap offshore labor a run for its money and return manufacturing jobs to U.S. soil. Artificial intelligence expert Rodney Brooks is the brain behind Baxter. From the article: 'Brooks's company, Rethink Robotics, says the robot will spark a "renaissance" in American manufacturing by helping small companies compete against low-wage offshore labor. Baxter will do that by accelerating a trend of factory efficiency that's eliminated more jobs in the U.S. than overseas competition has. Of the approximately 5.8 million manufacturing jobs the U.S. lost between 2000 and 2010, according to McKinsey Global Institute, two-thirds were lost because of higher productivity and only 20 percent moved to places like China, Mexico, or Thailand.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

 

 

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Horsemeat found in beef burgers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21034942#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
One could argue that horse meat is more expensive than beef :p
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DARPA wants to stash drones on the bottom of the ocean

Sounds like zerglings burying themselves underground ;)

 

 

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DARPA wants to stash drones on the bottom of the ocean

via SlashGear by Shane McGlaun on 1/15/13

DARPA launches projects that sound incredibly unrealistic from time to time. However, DARPA has also created actual working items that started out as incredibly unrealistic sounding plans. That means you can never discount DARPA when it puts out brief on a plan that sounds far-fetched at first glance.

DARPA's most recent plan is one such far-fetched sounding project that may be just crazy enough to work. The latest plan is called the Upward Falling Payloads project and is aimed at developing storage capsules for military assets that would allow devices, such as drones, to be stored at the bottom of the ocean for years at a time until needed. The idea is that capsules can be dropped at strategic locations holding drones or other items and the capsules could release their payload when needed.

The plan calls for unmanned, distributed systems to provide the military with operational support including situational awareness, disruption, deception, and rescue. One of the potential payloads for these capsules are small aerial drones that can launch to the surface in capsules, take off, and provide observation or act as decoys. DARPA is calling for input on finding ways of extending survival of capsules under extreme ocean pressure.

DARPA also wants to find methods of waking up these underwater nodes after years of inactivity. The plan also calls for input on ways to efficiently launch payloads to the surface. That last part doesn't seem too complex since submarines have been launching payloads to the surface of the ocean for a long time. DARPA is pointing out that this is not a weapons project and that the risk of losing any single node in the system is minimal.

[via Wired]

DARPA wants to stash drones on the bottom of the ocean is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Chimps reveal origins of sharing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20973753#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Microsoft sets Messenger deadline

The end of an era :P

 

 

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Microsoft sets Messenger deadline

via BBC News - Home on 1/11/13

The Windows Live Messenger service will be switched off on 15 March, Microsoft says in a message to all users of the service.

 

 

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Υπό εξέταση η δημιουργία «hi-tech» προανακριτικού τμήματος

CSI Athens :P

 

 

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Υπό εξέταση η δημιουργία «hi-tech» προανακριτικού τμήματος

via In.gr Νέα: Ελλάδα on 1/10/13

Στη σύσταση Ειδικού Προανακριτικού Τμήματος, με εξειδικευμένο επιστημονικό προσωπικό σε θέματα πληροφορικής, για την αντιμετώπιση προβλημάτων κατά τη διερεύνηση δύσκολων υποθέσεων, όπως με τη λίστα Λαγκάρντ, που συνδέονται μάλιστα με τη σύγχρονη τεχνολογία, προανήγγειλε ο υπουργός Δικαιοσύνης, Αντώνης Ρουπακιώτης.

 

 

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One student seriously injured in California school shooting

American killing spree :P

 

 

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One student seriously injured in California school shooting

via euronews on 1/10/13

There has been another school shooting in the US, this time with one student critically wounded at Taft Union High School in Kern County, California.…

 

 

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Linux 3.0 Kernel for the HTC Explorer (Pico)

What do we want? Newer kernels for our phones! Linux 3.7.1 for all our android handsets!

 

 

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Linux 3.0 Kernel for the HTC Explorer (Pico)

via xda-developers by Haroon Q. Raja on 1/10/13

It's truly impressive how dedicated the developers in our community are in working to keep old devices relevant with the latest OS updates, even after their manufacturers have ditched them entirely in favor of newer devices. In one such development, XDA Recognized Developer sakindia123 has ported the Linux 3.0.16 kernel to the HTC Explorer. This is great news for ROM developers since this will bring better support for ICS and Jelly Bean ROMs, in addition to better speed and security.

At the moment, the kernel supports most device features including touch screen, hardware acceleration, brightness, screen controls, accelerometer, vibrator, ambient light sensor, RIL, camera, clock, battery, phone calls, messaging, mobile data, capacitive buttons, GPS, storage, deep sleep, USB, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Sound also works, though the volume is rather low. The volume-up and power buttons aren't functional at the moment though, and the lack of power button functionality would likely be the primary reason for the kernel to be not yet ready for use as a daily driver. However, the developer is working on the kernel, and we might likely see a fix for this in a future update.

Developers can find more details and the source code link in the development forum thread. There is a users thread as well, to keep discussion not related to development separate.

 

 

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An operating system designed for FPGA-based reconfigurable computers

nicely done!

 

 

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An operating system designed for FPGA-based reconfigurable computers

via OSNews by donotreply@osnews.com (Thom Holwerda) on 1/9/13

"BORPH is an operating system designed for FPGA-based reconfigurable computers. It is an extended version of the Linux kernel that handles FPGAs as if they were CPUs. BORPH introduces the concept of a 'hardware process', which is a hardware design that runs on an FPGA but behaves just like a normal user program. The BORPH kernel provides standard system services, such as file system access to hardware processes, allowing them to communicate with the rest of the system easily and systematically. The name is an acronym for 'Berkeley Operating system for ReProgrammable Hardware'."

 

 

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Giant squid caught on camera

http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/nsil99bL2EU/

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Earth-size planets 'number 17bn'

Not so unique after all :P Just a random rock in the planetary system of a random star.

 

 

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Earth-size planets 'number 17bn'

via BBC News - Home on 1/7/13

An analysis of planet candidates suggests at least one in six stars in the night sky hosts an Earth-sized planet - 17 billion in total.

 

 

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Hands-on with Lego's Mindstorms EV3 kit (video)

Come out and play! :D

 

 

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Hands-on with Lego's Mindstorms EV3 kit (video)

via Engadget by Daniel Cooper on 1/7/13

Lego's third-generation Mindstorms kit has been redesigned to appeal to both kids desperate to craft and modders looking for even more customizability. With assembly instructions now provided by a 3D animated diagram on an iPad app, this isn't the Lego you'll have remember from childhood. If you'd like to see what it's like in action, head on past the break to watch the video.

Gallery: Lego Mindstorms EV3 Hands-on at CES 2013

Continue reading Hands-on with Lego's Mindstorms EV3 kit (video)

Filed under: Robots

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01/07/12 PHD comic: 'Kickjumper'

 

 

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01/07/12 PHD comic: 'Kickjumper'

via PHD Comics on 1/7/13

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham		www.phdcomics.com
title: "Kickjumper" - originally published 1/7/2012 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

 

 

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Τι κάνετε μωρέ? Σταματήστε το ξύλο! Όχι άλλο ξύλο :P

Ενδιαφέρον άρθρο:

http://iwn1998.blogspot.gr/2013/01/blog-post_4.html

Ta ta,
--
elias a.k.a. diluted

Starbucks to open shop in Vietnam

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20896489#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
Next station: north Korea :p
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Cannabis 'makes pain more bearable'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20810603#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Keeping current with C: tips, tricks & resources

http://www.embedded.com/electronics-blogs/other/4403074/Keeping-current-with-C--tips--tricks---resources

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12/07/12 PHD comic: 'Amazing'

 

 

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12/07/12 PHD comic: 'Amazing'

via PHD Comics on 12/7/12

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham		www.phdcomics.com
title: "Amazing" - originally published 12/7/2012

 

 

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We all have hundreds of DNA flaws

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20617312#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
No one is infallible; not even the pope. Was Jesus a bug-free human? He should have been, for his father's sake :p
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Marijuana legal in first US state

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20621210#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
Nice :)
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Researchers to bore through 3km of Antarctic ice, seek organisms isolated for 100K years

http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/03/researchers-to-bore-through-3km-of-antarctic-ice-with-hot-water/

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NASA’s Voyager 1 creeps towards interstellar space

http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/3ArStpTir2k/

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