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This 3D-printed foam expands up to 40 times its original size
A team from UC San Diego developed a foaming resin that can expand to up to 40 times its original volume.
Kanye West's sustainable Yeezy concept uses algae foam
The next sneaker in Kanye West's Yeezy line could be made from algae foam. West offered a glimpse of the shoe at Fast Company's Innovation Festival today. He also shared that Yeezy is planning to move its headquarters to a 4,000-acre ranch in Wyoming, where it will grow its own algae in a hydroponic farm.
ICYMI: Space foam party and mind reading for horses
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new rover concept from Harvard's SSR Lab shows a rover extruding a fast-drying foam over rocks to keep vehicles from getting stuck on other planets. University of Nottingham researchers are building an algorithm to read the moods and behavior of horses, rather than having behaviorists analyze videos on their own. You should also see this video of hardware playing a very iconic song, at least check out the hysteria around Pokemon Go, and what's going on with Mars. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Scientists make an artificial heart out of foam
Artificial hearts only kinda-sorta behave like the real thing. They pump blood, sure, but they're typically solid blocks of machinery that are out of place in a squishy human body. Cornell University thinks it can do better, though: its scientists have developed an artificial foam heart that imitates both the functions and shape of its fleshy counterpart. The key is a new polymer that can be poured into specific shapes, and has pores that let it pump fluids. It's not only soft and stretchable, but more efficient -- you don't need much energy to get liquids moving.
Packing peanuts are the key to fast-charging batteries
Hate buying some new gadget, only to wind up with a sea of packing peanuts that do little more than spill on to the floor? Don't be too quick to toss them out -- they may be the key to a new generation of lithium-ion batteries. Purdue University researchers have developed a heating process that converts these shipping leftovers into anodes (where lithium ions are stored during charging) made from carbon. On top of eliminating waste, this technique should lead to batteries that recharge much faster. The carbon anodes are only a tenth as thick as their commercially available counterparts, so they don't produce nearly as much electrical resistance.
Nerf's higher-powered foam guns are meant for older fans
Nerf guns can be fun if you're a grown-up -- just ask the legions of people who modded the Maverick revolver. They're not really intended for an older audience, however, which is why Hasbro just unveiled a range of Nerf blasters meant for high schoolers (and adults) who take their plastic weapons seriously. The highlight is the Rival line you see above, which shoots foam balls at nearly 70MPH -- they won't sting like paintball rounds, but you're definitely going to feel the blow. You can get the $50 Zeus MXV-1200 if you insist on fast motorized reloads, or the $25 Apollo XV-700 if you're content with lever action.
Craft the latte foam kitty of your dreams with this insane 'gun'
If you love lattes but wish the foam could somehow be more adorable, good news! You'll soon be able to sculpt the most cloyingly cute animals you want using the Awa Taccino, a gun that fires measured dollops of foamed low-fat or soy milk. You just need to add the milk, whip it up for a minute with the supplied battery powered blender, sculpt it into shape and add chocolate features (as shown in the amazingly Japanese video below). You'll notice I said "sculpt": it does seem to require a modicum of skill, so for $60 you may end up with "formless blob" lattes instead of kitteh or panda lattes. It'll arrive at the Japan Trend Shop next month.
Watch this smart foam chair 'grow' and unpack itself
Sometimes we dream. We dream of a world with no more flat-pack furniture, no more obtuse construction manuals and no more missing screws. Smart foam tech might get us closer to those admittedly small-time dreams. Using cross links within the foam's particle arrangement, regardless of how much the structure is compressed, it'll spring back to the predesigned shape. Designer Carl de Smet adds that the product would expand at a set temperature getting a little doughy in the middle, then more solid at room temperature. He also demonstrates another smart foam structure which changes when a current is fed through it. Electricity provides the heat that transforms the rolled-up structure into a flat one, with the current experimental version taking around five minutes to completely settle. Commercial products which are apparently only about a year to 18 months away and as de Smet details in the video, could land on store shelves in a compacted rolled-up form for "unpacking" back home. These early examples can even be adjusted, if for some reason you suddenly decide you wanted a coffee table, not a chair. Sit back and see how it literally unfolds after the break.
I am 8-Bit headgear: it's always in season
We know, Halloween is so last month, but with a costume like this... who cares? Dan Liuzzi's "I am 8-Bit" headgear was crafted from insulation foam, joint compound, a cardboard box, glue, some gesso spray and acrylic paint. Even Dan himself calls the project "pretty amateur stuff," noting that it took him around two to three weeks to complete. You've got a bright future in that face, Dan -- we can just feel it. P.S. - Hit the source link for even more pictorial goodness.
Flickr Find: Juno's Hamburger iPhone
It's been a couple of years now, but remember the hit movie Juno, and the main character's hamburger-styled telephone? That phone made a splash with fans of kitschy art, and Flickr user Karen apparently decided to take the idea and run with it on her 3G iPhone. She's posted a nice gallery of pictures on how to give her iPhone a hamburger-style case, building out foam and plastic molds around a DVD flipcase. In the end, the prop looks pretty excellent, even if it doesn't quite work exactly the same as the phone in the movie does. But it's a cool project nonetheless. And the graphic on the iPhone is pretty funny, too.
Spira foam car enters Automotive X Prize, our hearts
There's something to be said about a car that gets 100 miles per gallon and floats. We're still trying to figure out what exactly that phrase is, but we're certain something has to be exclaimed. Designer Lon Ballard has concocted the, um, object you see above, which is actually an automobile modeled after Crocs and built almost entirely from foam. In fact, 90 percent of the Spira's makeup is foam, which doesn't exactly give us loads of confidence about its ability to withstand major (or minor, really) impacts on the American freeway. At any rate, this 302 pound automobile -- which can hit a top speed of 70mph via a 100cc engine -- is expected to make a literal splash in the Progressive Automotive X Prize, though we kind of doubt you'll ever see this thing mass produced in its existing form. Have a look at a pretty ridiculous video just past the break to see what kind of fun we're all missing out on.[Via Wired, thanks Eric]
NES gamepad mouse is the most amazing piece of industrial design in the history of humankind
Apparently as of right now, this stunning piece of high art is just a foam model mock-up, but listen to us, mouse manufacturers of the world: if you build this, we will give you every penny we have to own it. Our only gripe? The D-pad should definitely be up top for navigation duties. Still... where's the waiting list? [Via Technabob]
Video of the Blood of Gladiators TCG Loot
Our good friend Drayner over at Twinkinfo.com has gotten his hands on video of the brand new TCG items uncovered the other day for Upper Deck's upcoming Blood of Gladiators expansion. Of the three, the Foam Sword rack seems the coolest -- it looks like a pick up and go heirloom weapon that you'll be able to challenge others with. And while the Epic Purple Shirt is definitely purple (and Epic), the "Sandbox Tiger" is probably the sillest. But if you've always really wanted to ride a Spectral Tiger, there you go (and it does look like that Orc is having a lot of fun, doesn't it?).We'll be able to get our hands on some of these cards starting next month in stores. Are any of these convincing you to pick up a few card game packs, or are these not quite as exciting as the actual Spectral Tiger mount or the Ethereal Vendor?
My daughter the murloc
What happens when Halloween rolls around and you haven't gotten around to buying your almost one year old daughter a costume for the holiday because you've been spending too much time playing and writing about the World of Warcraft? Well, you make her a murloc costume, of course!From the moment my daughter was born, I just knew I had to dress her up as a character from my favorite game. I initially wanted to make a Moonkin costume but thought that it'd be best if she wore that when she was already walking proficiently. A miniature Moonkin waddling around would be priceless.This year, however, found me short of time and ideas so I decided to steal the idea of a baby in a murloc suit from last year's crop of Halloween costumes over at the Blizzard site. Since I don't have mad sewing skills, I made a quick jaunt to a shoe supplies store and picked up a bunch of slice foam and some cyanoacrylate.
World of WarCrafts: Voidwalker doorknob hanger
Every Thursday, Shelbi Roach of The Bronze Kettle guides you in creating WoW-inspired crafts using real world mats with World of WarCrafts.Is your special WoW time constantly getting interrupted? Need to keep people from raiding your domain while you're busy raiding Black Temple? This fanciful doorknob hanger is easy to make and fun for all ages. It's also not too late to add it to your Duskwood Chest for Father's day.Here is what you will need: Voidwalker Doorknob Hanger Template Foam Doorknob Hanger Foam Sheets (blue, light blue, green, purple) Foam Letters (of the sticker variety) Foam Glue Fashion Beads (mixed colors) Xacto Knife/Scissors Click on the images below to view a gallery of step-by-step instructions. %Gallery-24971%
Caption Contest: does not compute
Evidently, even robots get bad assignments. Evan: "After their defeat at the hands of the Autobots, the Decepticons were forced to perform the most humiliating of jobs."Ryan: "Trust us, you really don't want to pull out Mini Killbot 3000 with the dangling claw. Might we suggest Snoopy?"Darren: "And to think, those Americans have to settle for a pathetic claw."Josh: "In retrospect, XL-250 probably had an unfair advantage, since he was made of high-test iron and programmed to kill, while his opponents were just fur stuffed with cotton, and programmed to hug."Paul: "We could live offa the fatta the lan'."Conrad: "These creatures are the only sentient race in this sector and they're made out of foam? This can't be right."
Faced with Nerf or nothing, we choose Nerf
There's nothing elegant or alluring about Nerf's DS Lite Armor cases, but they look protective enough to guard against even the most rugged lifestyles. The $12.99 ensemble holds the handheld close with a plastic shell and swaddles it with Nerf's unique foam padding. Nothing short of a tactical nuclear weapon (or a puppy that loves to chew on your valuables) will penetrate its cushioned coat. Though GameStop advertises that the cases won't be available until next month, Fanboy reader PW was able to acquire one early by setting his DS clock ahead. According to his impressions, the extra padding allows people with "giant gorilla hands" to finally play games on a DS Lite without having to suffer hand cramps. We've got more photos of his Nerf DS Lite Armor after the post break, so don't miss out on those. You should note that while PW's case is orange, that particular color isn't listed as an option on its packaging or on several online sites. Maybe this is an in-store-exclusive edition? You might want to head to a brick and mortar shop if you want to purchase one anyway, as GameStop's online product page states the following gem: "The DS Lite Nerf Armor comes in 4 colors: Pink, Blue, Black and Green. Colors are chosen at random when shipped."Who's the genius that came up with that plan?!
Wii Sports Pack offers trio of Wiimote extensions
In what's likely to go down as the most heavily accessorized (and harmful) controller ever, Nintendo's Wiimote sure is garnering a lot of attention from accessory makers. Sure, those Wii Gloves may keep butterfinger disasters from ever occurring, but they really don't give you any sort of competitive advantage when throwing down in Wii Sports. While we knew JoyTech was planning its own barrage of controller add-ons, it looks like Brando is offering up a sweet trio of Wiimote extensions to presumably improve your Wii Sports play. For just $22, you'll get a tennis racket, golf grip, and a baseball bat, which could arguably pull double duty as a sword in Red Steel. Of course, you'll still need to pick up that foam donut separately (or bundled in with another game) for the ultimate Excite Truck experience, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.
