Gadgets Blog » General

3D Gaming: Something Else I Have to Worry About

brock — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:10:51 +0000

I have spent hours of my life rescuing various princesses from a multitude of bad guys in my decades as a video game junkie. I plunked my quarters in Pacman, jumped over barrels in Donkey Kong and died countless times only to be brought back at the last save point.

Recently, I began reading about the creation of PC gaming in 3D. At first I was excited, because I am a man and we get excited at shiny buttons and flashing lights, but then I started thinking about my kids. I’m a parent, I do that.

There was a time when video games were pretty much tame. I stomped on a throng of koopas in Super Mario Brothers, and yet to need therapy for it. The graphics were bad, the memory was low and there wasn’t much they could do other than run, jump and shoot.

As usual, science marches on and the processors got faster, the graphics got better and the games got bloodier and more realistic. It was no longer 8-bit graphics and blowing things up. Games are in HD and I am pretty sure that a third of the teenagers and many 20-somethings know how to silently kill me thanks to Ghost Recon.

The last thing I want my children to do is pretend to sit on a rooftop and pick off soldiers with a sniper rifle. That’s just creepy. I don’t care if he’s 10 or he’s 30, sniper rifle = bad. I admit to being more than a little hypocritical here. As game systems developed, I was right there standing in line for the latest games and I have spent my share of time behind the scope of a virtual sniper rifle, but not anymore.

Children have changed my perspective on many things and now I have to worry about 3D gaming. We already have blood coming at us from all directions in video games and now I have to worry about it looking like its â€œactuallyâ€ coming at my kids.

Now, people won’t just get to experience what it’s like to snap someone’s neck, but feel like they are actually there. It’s only a matter of time before game developers create gloves that will feel like you’re actually squeezing the life out of someone.

I’m all for 3D technology, but let’s keep a rein on it before my kid needs to see a shrink for virtually taking out the evil double agent.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/shany_410/1083846900

Boeing’s Phantom Ray Drone Ready for Takeoff

Dan Evans — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:35:50 +0000

With its swept-back wing design and (apparently) white color, the Phantom Ray has worked to eliminate one of the more troublesome aspects of jet warplanes: the pilot. That’s right, the Phantom Ray is one of the latest drone airplanes, the sort of device that has become more and more common in 21st century warfare. The folks over at Technewsdaily have worked to put together a great article outlining the specifics of the plane, which manage to make it sound incredible while delivering the raw potential of a warfighter of this magnitude:

The 36-foot-long aircraft, which will serve as a test bed for advanced technologies, was rolled out May 10 at the Boeing Defense, Space, and Security plant in St. Louis, Missouri. With its 614 mph (0.8 Mach) cruising speed, operating altitude of 40,000 feet and 50-foot wingspan, the 365,000-pound Phantom Ray advances the state of the art for unmanned aircraft. The bat-shaped flying wing has a combat radius of 1200 nautical miles. Power comes from a General Electric F404-102D engine.

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According to Boeing, the plane is capable of operating devoid of any human control whatsoever.

While many of these specifications are simply over my head (and make me wish I had gone into engineering like some of my fellow students at the Claremont Colleges), my experience playing Modern Warfare 2 has taught me that drones are good things on the front-lines. With a payload weighing up to 4500 lbs, the Phantom Ray could be a trump-card for the American Military. Every time an advanced gadget such as this plane rolls out, I always feel glad that it’s on our side, and not the other way around. You might not be able to pick it up like an iPad, but Boeing has certainly upped the ante with this stealthy plane.

Cool Concept Cars:Is This Your Next Car?

Dan Evans — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:25:37 +0000

I have a very tender place in my heart reserved for concept cars, and in fact, I believe its located right next to the tender place in my heart reserved for Santa Claus. It seems like for these big Auto conferences, such as the ongoing Detroit Auto Show, car manufacturers roll out their craziest, science-fiction inspired autos that are never to see the light of day. But boy, are they awesome to look at, and the idea that one day we might be rolling around in a car that looks like one of these. . . well, a boy can dream I suppose.

Yet this morning, car enthusiasts are excited over what looks to be a very special concept car from German manufacturer Audi. The Audi e-tron, which is a variation on the Audi E8 coup, boasts one of the most promising designs for an electric car that could be readily available in a realistic amount of time. Additionally, the car boasts some remarkable engineering features that conserve energy. The E-Tron (which has been spelled with varying degrees of capitalization on several different websites) is an electric car, with no gasoline required. Better yet, it can be plugged into a standard wall outlet to be charged.

Now for the specifications: One of the greatest difficulties in engineering an electric car is battery life, and the e-tron has some impressive numbers in this respect. Lithium ion batteries, the same kind found in many new consumer electronics, are located directly behind the passenger compartment and in front of the rear axel, giving the car a driving range of up to 155 miles on a single charge. Along with that impressive number is the charge time: only two hours on an entirely empty battery. But much like other electric or hybrid cars, the e-tron’s batteries also charge while the car is in motion.

Herein is the e-tron’s most innovative feature: Braking while operating the car actually charges the battery. The e-tron’s alternator converts the kinetic energy generated while braking into electricity that is then fed to the batteries, enabling the car to juice up on the road. This extends the driving range of the vehicle, powering the auto during a motion that is utilized frequently in driving. Additionally, the engineers at Audi used the old “brake by wire” principal on the car’s rear brakes, meaning there is no electronic or hydraulic element employed on its electrically actuated floating-caliper brakes. This eliminates any residual friction generated on the rear axels when the brakes are not being employed, further increasing the efficiency of the car.

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These are some great strides forward for electric cars, but if the ultimate goal is environmental conservation, there are still issues with the idea of electric cars as a whole. By developing a car that, as Audi has touted, can be charged from your standard wall outlet, we’re not so much conserving energy as transferring its origin. Hypothetically, if a large portion of Americans switched over to electric cars, there would be an increased demand for electricity on our existing power infrastructure, and that electricity would come from energy sources that aren’t as environmentally-friendly as we would like. If we are to move to electric cars, we first will have to develop this energy infrastructure into a Clean Energy network, whether that’s via solar, wind, or some other type of power (I’m a nuclear advocate myself, but that’s another story). Nonetheless, Audi really deserves a toast on the E-Tron coupe, as it showcases some great German engineering and ups the ante for car manufacturers for the development of energy-efficient autos.

Image Source:flickr.com/photos/8739348@N04/3929274175/

Shop MoMA Store for Deals on Gifts

colleen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:38:26 +0000

We all love to go shopping at the mall, and online: there are so many more options than the mom-and-pop stores and downtown boutiques. In person, there is no comparison: Target is going to have more selection, better quality and more resources than your local drug store, and going to Target is a time-saver overall in comparison with shopping at the local drug store, not finding what you need, and then heading to Target to fulfill your department-store desires.

But online, things are different. You can have browsers open for Target.com, but also a bunch of “boutique” websites, or the equivalent of the mom-and-pop drug store downtown, all at the same time. I recommend using this as your advantage this holiday season: think beyond department store and Amazon.com savings, and look for the “boutiques” of the Internet. For now, I recommend the Museum of Modern Art’s online shop, with a great selection of books, games, and gadgets to keep every gamer happy.

A couple of top MoMA shop online store gift ideas:

Pinhole Camera Kit from MoMAstore.org: $28.00

Piperoid Robots 2-in-1 set from MoMastore.org: $15.00

Going Green: Hybrid Cars

colleen — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:07:56 +0000

While I wish a blog could influence you to go out and buy a hybrid car on a whim, I doubt that’s what blogs do. Blogs inform, spread information and network sites and sources to give you the recaps of important news updates, usually with an edge of personal bias, but nonetheless without much of a corporate influence. So here’s my small talk about Hybrid Cars, the fuel-efficient models that make our environment healthier and happier. Hybrid cars are wonderfully smooth and quiet to drive, they are usually much more compact than the large SUVs I’m used to driving, personally, and I know for many that is a point of caution: people want to be the biggest car on the road so, if in the event of an accident, you will be the safest. I don’t know if this is necessarily true: while I agree a compact car up against an 18-wheeler isn’t going to end well, I think the larger cars we drive the less control we have over them, we don’t know how to manage such large, moving vehicles and the blind spots get even more apparent. If everyone makes an effort to drive smaller cars, there will be less accidents in general, because we will have better control over our vehicles.

That was the safety rant! Now the green one. Hybrid cars are important developments for our society. Check out the most well known hybrid, the Toyota Prius, starting at around $22,000, at ToyotaPrius.com. The website takes you through all the models and their benefits. They’re sleek and fast, and run like a dream. I highly recommend them.

Open Your Horizons with a Telescope

colleen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:01:49 +0000

What better way to bond with the family at the next reunion or be the perfect aunt or uncle at the next niece’s or nephew’s birthday than bringing a telescope! Smarter.com features a great selection of discount telescopes in a range of ability, skill, and interest levels. If you’re a beginner, you want to go with a very basic design without too many knobs or scientific measurement gadgets—the only thing you want is a super clear and relatively strong lens and a map of the sky! Here are some of the top designs at the cheapest prices, rated in terms of skill level. Go explore!

Beginner: Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Refractor Telescope: $100

Amateur: Orion AstroView 100mm EQ Refractor Telescope: $449.95

Advanced: Vizen VMC200L Catadioptric Reflector Telescope: $1,299.00

Shop for affordable telescopes at Smarter.com.

Sleeping on Air: Floating Cloud Sofa

nick — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:14:38 +0000

I have to say, I haven’t seen a sofa, bed or anything quite like this.

It puts to life the concept, “I want to float away on a cloud.”

The Cloud Sofa is supposed to bring you ultra comfort and relaxation. It’s supposed to literally float in the air by being supported by a magnetic force generated by the bottom base. I don’t know how much more of an effective sleep you’ll get for this, but I accept this challenge.

I have issues getting on a hammock. Heck even in my bed.

Why do I see myself getting a concusson when I stumble home at 3 A.M.?

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Odd Car: Mercedes Benz F-Cell Roadster

nick — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:11:08 +0000

I have mixed feelings about this car.

A part of me thinks the Mercedes-Benz’s F-Cell roadster is ridiculously looking and a complete waste of money, while the other half commends them for thinking outside the box.

Although this thing looks like a wagon without the canopy, it does have a unique look. But don’t expect it to get you anywhere fast. This baby is only said to reach a whopping 15.5 mph at top speed. Also, instead of the conventional steering wheel, it’s controlled by a joystick and has a 217 mile operating range.

Transforming Grill: Lumos Outdoor Fireplace

nick — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:11:36 +0000

At first glance, this baby looks just like your average outdoor grill.

But oh, how the eyes have been deceived.

The Lumos Outdoor Fireplace not only warms up your backyard, but if you’re in a grilling mode, can instantly turn into a charcoal, grilling BBQ. In an instant, the chimney stack folds to the side, giving you a cutting board or shelf.

I love things that transform. I wonder if this thing can also turn into a diesel, powered big rig that can take on Decepticons from outerspace.

Just a thought.

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Rubik’s Cube is No Match for the Petaminx Dodecahedral

nick — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:04:37 +0000

For those of you who remember the Rubix cube and you happened to be one of the 10 people who actually beat that thing, here’s a new challenge for you.

The Pentaminx Dodecahedral Puzzle. Say that five times fast.

Forget your basic square and matching up it’s four sides, try matching up this baby’s 975 pieces. All in all, this thing took 75 hours to make, including hand placing all the stickers.

So if you have the patience of Ghandi, maybe this is something you might want to tackle. Or crush if you get annoyed with it after 5 minutes.

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