Although the PlayStation 3 is quite the lovely Blu-ray player in most respects, one issue has nagged remote junkies from day one: the absence of IR. Now, however, the highly-anticipated IR2BT Infrared-to-Bluetooth converter is on the market, and sure enough, it promises to transmit "all 51 Sony Blu-ray remote codes including the PS button for Power On / Off." The unit itself measures in at 4.5- x 3- x 1-inches, operates on a pair of AA cells or a mini-USB connector and doesn't even require you to own a soldering iron. Ready to control your PS3 via a universal IR remote without getting a degree in electrical engineering? Hit up the read link and hand over your $55, bub.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Remember Johnny Chung Lee's self-made VR head-tracking system cobbled together from a Wiimote and IR-equipped safety glasses? Good, because it's now one step closer to its destiny as the ultimate controller for a first person, Wii shooter. The video experience in a 3D wireframed world does look admittedly rough, but the idea is sound: step forward to move forward, to the sides to turn, and jump to (you guessed it) jump. Fortunately, with Nintendo's WiiWare service now live in Japan, maybe, just maybe someone will see the potential and commercialize this. Watch the Insight VR people hunt down the evil Marshies after the break.

[Via Make and Hack A Day]

Solar's had a pretty rough time breaking the ~40% efficiency level over the years, but Idaho National Laboratory researchers have apparently developed a nano-antenna array capable of collecting power not from photonic energy as is done today, but from infrared energy that could be harvested in any weather (or even at night). The cell production process is even supposed to be ridiculously cheap compared to making standard silicon photovoltaic cells, but, as always, there's a rub. The grid collects its oscillating IR energy at ten thousand billion times per second, which is proving to be a challenge to the nerds behind the tech, who are working on a way to convert that to the 50-60Hz power that the world uses. So yeah, it might be a few more years before this one pans out (if it does pan out).

[Via EcoGeek]

We already knew that select scientists were working up an advanced electronic nose, but now a team at Rockefeller University has apparently figured out a way to actually see smells. Supposedly, these gurus closely investigated fly larvae and found that sensing odors "in stereo" enabled flies to navigate to smells much more effectively than when only one olfactory organ was used. As they studied said phenomenon, the researchers used a "novel spectroscopic technique that exploited infrared light to create environments where they could see, control and precisely quantify the distribution of these smells." Impressive though this may be, we still prefer the ole GPS method to locating our favorite fare, but beholding those delightful aromas could certainly help out in a pinch.

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of Noendo]

Finally, someone has had the kindness to step in and solve the age-old problem of finding your car at the airport. Britain's Heathrow -- a major hub for scores of European airlines and their travelers -- is about to unleash a new wing known as Terminal 5, and as part of the package, its parking lot is getting an upgrade. A new automated system in the garage will snap a photo of your license plate as you head in, direct you to a space using illuminated arrows and an infrared camera tracking system, then issue a ticket which can be read at a kiosk when you get back. When you insert the stub into the reader, a digital display shows you a 3D map of the carpark, and points you to the exact location of your vehicle. According to planners, the project will reduce traffic, cut carbon emissions by 397 tons per year, and will halve the number of relationship-ending arguments that occur while trying to find a car.

[Thanks, Rastrus]

An ingenious little hack enables anyone with a Wii, a powerful infrared emitter, and some reflective tape to control their Wii with their fingertips, as demonstrated in the creator's YouTube video. The "hack" involves sticking the reflective pads on your fingertips, and placing a Wiimote close to an infrared emitter, with the result being that the Wiimote thinks it's moving when in fact your fingers are. The hack won't work very well with your Wii -- can't press dem buttons! -- so it's limited to gimmicky Minority Report-style demos on your PC. Besides, isn't the whole point of couch potato gaming that you don't have to lift a finger?

[Via Hackaday]

The world is already well aware of just how potent (and useful) femtosecond lasers are, and a recent study conducted by a team of Arizona State University physicists explains how pulses could be used to dismantle viruses and bacteria without harming a single innocent cell. Rather than follow in the footsteps of indiscriminate laser treatment options, the group of Sun Devils reportedly figured out a way to "produce lethal vibrations in the protein coat of microorganisms," which has the potential to at least treat "blood-borne diseases such as AIDS and Hepatitis." The technique, dubbed ISRS (Impulsive Stimulated Raman Scattering), has shown to not harm healthy human cells while fighting the good fight against viral pathogens, and while there's no easy way to surmise how quickly we'll see this in action, we're gonna wait for a bit more proof before getting our hopes up.

[Via Switched]

It's not often that we see a USB-powered gizmo claiming to "relieve tiredness, muscle strain or even pain," and considering that we can't leave our posts even for a moment to see an actual doctor (a non-robotic one, at least), we couldn't be happier about this development. The USB Far Infra-Red Pad gets all the power it needs from a spare USB port, and apparently emits infrared light onto your weary arms, back or biceps in order to leave you feeling completely revitalized. Interestingly, the manufacturer warns that leaving it on one spot for over 15 minutes can cause all sorts of problems, so yeah, there's that. Anyways, those who spend the majority of their time slaving over a keyboard can snap this (likely worthless) thing up for $21.99, but don't expect any miracles, alright?

[Via EverythingUSB]

Just in case you weren't satisfied with the smorgasbord of options you already had when looking to control your iPod alternatively, researchers at Osaka University are hoping to shut you up. Thanks to new head gear that "uses infrared sensors and a microcomputer," individuals would be able to "operate music players by clenching their teeth." Essentially, the system "receives a command when the user clenches his or her teeth for about one second," which means that you can still chew gum and whatnot without getting it all confused. In the future, the team hopes to implement the technology into more devices, allowing folks to make funny faces to flip to the next slide in a presentation, answer a phone call, or even direct a wheelchair.

Step aside Mary Lou Retton, there's a new pint-sized powerhouse loose in the US. Meet the $300 F50fd from FujiFilm which stuffs that ridiculous 12 megapixel, 1/1.6-inch CCD into this FinePix's slim chassis with 3x optical zoom and 2.7-inch LCD in tow. The cam sports a dual-shot mode (one with and one without flash taken in rapid succession), xD/SD/SDHC expansion, and FujiFilm's v2.0 Face Detection tech, a mechanically stabilized CCD sensor and the ability to shoot at ISO 1600 at full resolution. It will also be one of the first domestic shooters to support IrSimpleShot (IrSS) high speed data transfer when it enters the US market in September. And here you thought infrared was dead you silly, silly boy.

Fujifilm has been lending a helping hand in the realm of investigative photography for quite some time, and the firm's latest picks up where the S3 Pro UVIR and IS-1 left off. Featuring Fujifilm's Super CCD Pro and Real Photo Processor Pro technology to see light from the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared portions of the spectrum, this 12.3-megapixel gem also sports face detection, password protected lockouts, optional "rubber body armor," CF / Microdrive slots, RAW support, and a live image preview LCD to boot. Moreover, it's fully compatible with Nikon F mount lenses and iTTL flash systems, which should ease the burden of switching costs if you've already sunk way too much into Nikon accessories. No word just yet on how much coinage this will demand, but look for it to land in precincts (okay, store shelves too) next month.

Nothing like full-on tank warfare to release the pent up frustration from waiting in line all day to acquire an iPhone, right? The remote controlled VS Tanks kit consists of two infrared-enabled machines, two controllers (that eerily resemble those on the Atari Jaguar, to be honest), and a battlefield. Each tank sports a rotating turret, a sweet "super spin" move for times when only a spray 'n pray maneuver will do, a machine gun, and flashing LEDs to show when you've been hit. Each unit fires out AirSoft pellets and can be equipped with an "action cam" to record the carnage for future viewing, and while the £50 ($100) set may cater to the younger crowd, even the suits can't deny the rush experienced when gunning your opponent down on the field. Peep a demonstration video after the break.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

When you've eggs that essentially boil themselves and gizmos that take the skill out of concocting a decent breakfast, where's the need for culinary prowess? For the chefs who feel that modern technology is diluting their art, Matsushita's latest invention isn't likely to enthrall you, but for those in need of a quick stir-fry lesson, the KZ-VSW33D should fit the bill. The electromagnetic induction heating (IH) cooking utensil, better known as a stove here in the states, uses infrared temperature sensors which can quickly determine if the bottom of the pan has cooled off since the prior reading (you know, while you're hurling it about trying to impress onlookers), and can then adjust in order to provide an even amount of heat throughout so that certain sections don't end up, um, extra crispy. Of course, such a snazzy cooker demands quite the premium, as this uber-efficient device will run you a staggering ¥409,500 ($3,310) when it lands in September.

[Via Tech-On]

For those looking to make the leap to home automation whilst making sure that elegance is taken into account, Control4 is hoping its newfangled Home Controller HC-300 will fit the bill. The relatively low-cost IP-based home controller offers up a multitude of serial, infrared, and video sensing ports, plays nice with standards-based communication technology including Ethernet, WiFi, and ZigBee mesh networking, and can dictate multi-room music, smart lighting, advanced temperature control, and security without breaking a sweat. Most notably, however, is its ability to output the graphical user interface in sparkling 720p, meaning that you will no longer be ashamed of flashing your home controller's GUI on the big screen. Additionally, Control4 revamped the device by adding an anodized black aluminum chassis and a glossy black faceplate, and it plans on shipping these things out sometime in July for a respectable $699.

[Via CEPro]