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Boston prep school nixes all the books in its library, replaces them with 18 e-readers

by Laura June posted Sep 5th 2009 at 8:45AM

We love looking to the future here at Engadget. And while real, paper books hold a special place in our heart, we're fairly certain no one will accuse us of being Luddites for scoffing at a recent development at a Boston prep school. James Tracy, the headmaster of Cushing Academy, says that he sees books as an "outdated technology," and to that end, he's taken the drastic and expensive step of ridding the school's library of every single one of its books. Replacing the books will be a high tech "learning center," housing three flat screen televisions, laptops, 18 e-readers, and a coffee bar. The project -- which is costing somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000 -- is one of the first of its kind. So, excuse us for our cynicism, but unless there are only 18 students at Cushing Academy, we're pretty sure the e-reader supply is going to come up short.

Scallop Imaging wide-angle security cams look to the sea for inspiration

by Darren Murph posted Dec 15th 2008 at 7:53AM

We're not too sure what's up with New England-based institutions and inspiration from the depths, but the two seem to have some kind of intrinsic connection. The latest company to prove such a wacky assertion true is Boston's own Scallop Imaging, a Tenebraex subsidiary that has developed a "low-cost" security camera that sees 180 degrees of view without fisheye distortion or the lag present in pan-and-tilt alternatives. Additionally, the multi-eyed cam automatically stitches and downsamples images, and can capture a new 7-megapixel still to transmit over Ethernet "every second or two." It's small enough to be placed into a light socket-sized hole, and it's powered by the same Ethernet cable that links it into a building's surveillance system. Of course, the fun won't stop there, as the outfit is already looking at automotive applications of the Digital Window, including "distortion-free backup cameras for the rear ends" of vehicles.

CarTel uses wardriving for science, better driving directions

by Samuel Axon posted Oct 10th 2008 at 10:49AM

If you're not satisfied with the driving directions you get on Google Maps, a few smart guys at MIT have created an elaborate new toy called CarTel just for you. They've equipped a fleet of Boston-area cars with computers that automatically connect to any 802.11 access points detected in transit, then send home data recorded by their on board diagnostic systems, all in just a few hundred milliseconds. The result: a website that gives you directions based on information gathered in real-time so you can avoid high-traffic areas or say, if it's raining, roads which have historically been congested in adverse weather conditions -- no GPS required. The project also keeps a record of all access points detected, so think of it as wardriving for the good of humanity -- and you (probably) wouldn't even get arrested for participating!

[Via PhysOrg]

Sprint XOHM WiMAX networks reportedly active in other cities

by Darren Murph posted Oct 6th 2008 at 9:52AM

Flying out of BWI to Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. or Northern Virginia? Make sure you pack in that SWC-E100, because we're hearing that Sprint's XOHM WiMAX networks are already live in each of those locales. According to a XOHM representative at a booth in Baltimore, the networks in each of those cities are already up, though they aren't officially supported as they're still "being tested." If any of you XOHM early adopters happen to head to any of the previously mentioned regions, bust out your ExpressCard and see if you get lucky (and then let us know how it goes).

XOHM's next stops: Boston, Philly, Dallas

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 3rd 2008 at 1:32AM

Sprint's XOHM WiMax service finally launching next month

Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network is finally due out this month in the launch market of Baltimore, with Chicago and DC to follow, and the company is already working on the next phase of the rollout, which will bring the high-speed wireless service to Boston, Philadelphia, and Dallas-Fort Worth. Sprint says it's already started installing WiMAX equipment in those three cities and that it's a "month ahead of schedule," but given the delays getting XOHM up and running in Baltimore, we're not exactly certain the "schedule" really matters. Still, it's good to hear that XOHM is growing up -- now launch, already.

MBTA affirms that vulnerabilities exist, judge lifts gag order on MIT students

by Darren Murph posted Aug 20th 2008 at 11:22AM

No surprise here, but the kids from MIT were (presumably) right all along. The three students who were muffled just before presenting their case at Defcon have finally been freed; the now-revoked gag order had prevented them from exposing insecurities in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ticket system, but during the same court setting, the MBTA fessed up and admitted that its current system was indeed vulnerable. Of note, it only confessed that its CharlieTicket system was susceptible to fraud, while simply not acknowledging any flaws in the more popular CharlieCard option. Pish posh -- who here believes it doesn't have dutiful employees working up a fix as we speak?

Continental Airlines expands paperless boarding in US

by Darren Murph posted May 5th 2008 at 11:24AM

Handset addicts traveling domestically through Houston's Intercontinental Airport have likely utilized the paperless boarding option if hopping on a Continental flight, and apparently the initiative is going over so well that the aforesaid airline and the TSA are expanding it to three more venues. As of now, passengers traveling within the US can enjoy the same luxury at Boston's Logan International Airport and Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C; later this month, the program should slide into Newark International Airport in New Jersey. As expected, only folks traveling alone can take advantage, as the airline feels that pulling up passes for an entire group would actually slow the flow of boarding. There's been no word given on future expansion plans, but at this rate, we wouldn't be shocked to see it hit even more airports in the not-too-distant future.

[Via WBZTV]

LED pranksters remember the Aqua Teen Hunger Force "bomb" scare

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jan 31st 2008 at 3:24PM

In an expression of remembrance for a historical moment in hair-trigger overreactions, artists all over the Boston area have taken to the streets armed with provocative LED signage. Paying homage to the "bomb" scare of January 31st, 2007 (which was actually just viral promotion for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie using LED art), creative pranksters have descended upon the city with electronic recreations of President Bush, Osama Bin Laden, and a number of other inflammatory images sure to rile the local authorities but-good. Truck on over to MAKE to see a collection of images, and if you happen to be in the Boston area, don't miss a chance to snap some photos of your own!

MIT student arrested for fake bomb at Boston's Logan airport

by Joshua Topolsky posted Sep 21st 2007 at 7:24PM

Boston authorities have once again put their hair-trigger reactions on display for the world today in a case involving an MIT student and bad fashion choices. In a situation eerily similar to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force debacle, Star Simpson (the student in question) was placed under arrest at gunpoint (submachine gunpoint, that is) at Boston's Logan airport because of an "art project" she was wearing. Simpson, who was at the airport to meet her boyfriend, was sporting a black sweatshirt with a circuit board and flashing LEDs attached... and was inexplicably holding Play-Doh. Authorities mistook the combination for some type of explosive device. Maj. Scott Pare, the airport's commanding officer said, "I'm shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport," and then lovingly added, "She's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue." Here's our suggestion to authorities next time: just ask, "What's up with the bad art?"

MIT builds robotic weight loss coach

by Darren Murph posted Aug 22nd 2007 at 12:15PM

In an attempt to understand how humans react to having a robotic weight loss coach in their home versus simply using the software that the machine is loaded with, the imaginative folks at MIT have constructed a sociable robot that wants to see you reach your ideal weight. The robot uses internal cameras and face-tracking software to maintain eye contact with you while you attempt to fib about exactly how much exercise you've had, and the external touchscreen allows you to input data such as food / calorie consumption and duration of exercise. The creature is slated to hit the homes of select Bostonians as the designers begin to test its long-term effectiveness, but those looking for a glimpse of it in action should check out the video provided in the read link.

[Via TechDigest]

HANNspree unveils design-centric Xm-Series LCD monitors

by Darren Murph posted Jul 11th 2007 at 5:47PM

We had a sneaking suspicion that HANNspree would revert back to its relatively flamboyant style soon enough, and just two months after busting out a surprisingly bland array of monitors, the firm is hitting back with a duo of stylish LCDs that take cues from two of America's most recognized cities. The 19-inch HANNS boston and HANNS new york are both part of the design-centric Xm-Series, and each share a WXGA+ resolution, brightness levels of up to 350 cd/m2, a five-millisecond response time, cable management / mounting options, DVI and VGA inputs, 700:1 contrast ratio, built-in two-watt stereo speakers, and an auxiliary audio input as well. As seen above, the Boston-themed flavor sports a wood-grain design scheme, while the industrial New Yorker (pictured after the break) sports a brushed aluminum stand and a dash of "art techno" for good measure. Regardless of your city of choice, both of these devices can be snapped up real soon for $249.99.

[Via Electronista]

Continue reading HANNspree unveils design-centric Xm-Series LCD monitors

Malfunctioning fax machine prints out bomb ClipArt, forces evacuation of area

by Conrad Quilty-Harper posted Jun 2nd 2007 at 11:12PM

In any normal town across America there are countless faxes sent and received which feature poorly chosen ClipArt: why then must a promotional fax like the one pictured above fail to print out correctly -- leaving only a picture of a bomb -- in the town of Ashland Massachusetts, not far from the recent high profile Boston bomb scares? This innocent fax caused the evacuation of a dozen nearby businesses after it was received at a Bank of America branch, coinciding with what police said was the delivery of a suspicious package by a customer. The package turned out to merely be "papers," and the fax turned out to be a promotion counting down to an ~~explosion~~ event called "Small Business Commitment Week." Maybe next time the company behind the fax will be a little more wary of the consequences of inappropriately using bomb imagery, and the staff that received the fax will stop to consider whether a potential bomber would use an off-center and badly stretched ClipArt image of a bomb to illustrate their intent. Or, if the Aqua Teen Hunger Force farce is anything to go by, then everyone will blame the person responsible for maintaining the fax machine, and he/she'll appear on TV talking about hairstyles from the 70s.

[Thanks, George]

Aqua Teen Hunger Force viral ads cause Boston bomb scare

by Ryan Block posted Jan 31st 2007 at 7:19PM

Oh, you viral marketers and tricksy Adult Swim promo squads, what've you done now? No longer content with offending parents and making the male aged 18-30 demo chortle with glee at their New Jersey debauchery, it would appear Aqua Teen crossed over into real life to wreak havoc promoting the upcoming ATHF movie. Geeky Lite-Brite-like visages of the Mooninites caused shut downs in several transit arteries in Boston, including Interstate 93, the Longfellow Bridge, and Storrow Drive, leaving thousands asking WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR FRICKIN' CAR?! Strangely, Turner stated that these viral ads have been in place in 10 major cities for between two and three weeks, which leaves one to wonder why no one noticed the strange, pixelated cartoon characters flipping the bird until just this afternoon, and just in Boston.

[Thanks, Dan]

Update: One's for sale on eBay! Thanks, everybody.

Cancer patient has Xbox 360 stolen whilst in hospital

by Darren Murph posted Jan 28th 2007 at 4:30AM

There's inhumane, and then there's despicable, but unfortunately for a 17-year old cancer patient receiving treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital, he knows all too well about both of them. A Vermont-based teenager had been suffered from osteosarcoma, bone cancer in the leg, and was "recovering from surgery" a few hundred miles away from home. Apparently, someone(s) the family actually knew broke into their home while they were obviously away, and proceeded to jack his Xbox 360 as well as "over $1,000 worth of games and DVDs" while they were at it. Local police suggest that they "do have some good leads involving current and former students at local high schools," and while none of the culprits have been apprehended just yet, folks have been more than generous in helping Jeff return to some state of normalcy by donating funds to help with family expenses, and one individual actually dropped off a new Xbox 360 console for a local radio station to deliver.

[Via Xbox360Fanboy]

Horizon partners with Navini to spread WiMAX across Northeast US

by Darren Murph posted Jan 17th 2007 at 1:11AM

Following up on Sprint's announcement to spread the WiMAX love to Chicago and Washington, D.C., Horizon is looking to broaden that area of coverage out just a bit by partnering with Navini Networks. This news comes after the FCC approved Horizon's purchase of the WCS A Block spectrum previously owned by the diminishing Verizon, and now the firm is looking to deploy the wireless goods in "Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Richmond, and Cincinnati" for starters. Horizon has selected Navini's 802.16e equipment to get things up and running, and states that its objective it to "provide wireless last mile access to residential, business, and emergency restoration markets," but folks in rural areas will seemingly get shunned for now. Horizon isn't wasting any time getting this thing started, either, as it plans to start building the network in Q1 of this year, with hopes for "ongoing expansion and additional network deployments in the latter part of 2007."

[Via TheWirelessReport]