DART
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Google takes steady aim at web programming with Dart
Google has brought its arm up, narrowed its focus and let Dart fly. The new programming language focuses on web apps, and the internet giant is hoping that Dart will feel "familiar and natural" to developers raised on a diet of rival programming languages. The ability to execute code in either a native virtual machine (which emulates how it'd work in real-life) or a JavaScript engine means that anything can be compiled to run on current web browsers. Dart devs are also exploring the idea of cramming a virtual machine inside future versions of Chrome. Eager coders can now get their teeth into all of Google's open source development tools by targeting the second source link below.
Google set to introduce Dart, a new structured programming language
It's a bird, it's a plane -- it's Dart, Google's soon-to-be-released computer language for structured web programming. Having hoarded dart-related URLs for the past couple of months, Google's confirmed the (previously) secret project on the Goto International Software Development conference website. A couple of Mountain View's finest will make the announcement official in the keynote at the event on October 10th, when presumably we'll find out what it can do. Dart makes a nice addition to Go, JavaScript and Python in Google's coding bag-o-tricks, but there's room for one more -- we're looking at you, Spot.
Samsung Exhibit 4G and Gravity Smart coming to T-Mobile on June 22nd, Dart available today
Not a lot of surprises here, but T-Mobile has just confirmed a pair of earlier rumors surrounding three different Android-based phones from Samsung. That includes the Samsung Exhibit 4G and Gravity Smart, which will both indeed be launching on June 22nd, and the entry-level Samsung Dart (pictured above), which is available today for free on a two-year contract. The Exhibit 4G is the highest-end of the lot, with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and Android 2.3, while the Gravity Smart drops things down to Android 2.2 but adds a QWERTY keyboard, and the Dart packs some specs that T-Mobile's choosing not to highlight for the most part -- though it's apparently a variation on the Galaxy Mini, which boasts a 600MHz processor and 3.1-inch QVGA display.
T-Mobile tossing Samsung Dart into its lineup on June 15th?
Just as the name implies, this one almost zoomed right past us. The Samsung Dart is likely to show its face on T-Mobile within the next two days, according to some very official-looking employee docs uncovered by TmoNews. Given that it shares the same launch date as the HTC Sensation 4G, the entry-level Dart -- aka the Samsung t499 -- won't be getting much of the spotlight. Regardless, we still want to give this Android phone some time in the sun, as it still sounds like a decent choice for first-time smartphone buyers: full touchscreen, 3 megapixel camera, Swype, and Flash support. Certainly there's a lot of unknowns about this device, but we're expecting those gaps to fill as Wednesday draws closer.
Robot hand hits 20WPM, nearly ready to embrace infinite monkey theorem
Robot hands have been grabbing, crushing, drawing and otherwise actuating for years, but have you ever seen one properly type? That's the primary purpose of a new Virginia Tech design. Engineers built this Dexterous Anthropomorphic Robotic Typing (DART) hand to mimic the real deal as best they could, down to individually-actuating three-segment digits and 110 degrees of wrist rotation in a package the size of a real human arm. Using a total of 19 servo motors and high tensile strength wire for the tendons, they managed to create a single mechanical paw that can achieve an estimated 20 words per minute while typing. Next, they plan to cover it in silicone skin and add piezoelectric sensors to provide tactile feedback. Imagine that: the next time a secret family member severs your arm with a focused plasma beam, you'll know where to go for replacement. Find a quick video and the full scientific paper at the links below.
