The cats and kittens at the MIT Media Lab are always on some next-level type of wackiness, and the Siftables project doesn't break from that trend. The concept seems simple enough: a collection of small, self-contained input / display devices wirelessly link together to form an independent mini-network, or a control system for a PC. The cubes feature OLED screens, a 3-axis accelerometer, Bluetooth, flash memory, and a haptic actuation driver, and feature additional ports for attaching other devices. The aim is to create a more natural system for handling and displaying data, though we won't be surprised if this is somehow incorporated into an even more realistic version of Call of Duty. Check out the video after the break to see the little guys in action.

[Via OhGizmo!]

While it may not have the production values -- and probably not the budget -- of the Pixar-produced Toy Story movies with which it shares a common theme, the stop-motion short "medialab@night" has nevertheless captured our imagination with its clever premise and lovable cast of characters. Just like Buzz, Woody, and that humorous little pig, the high-tech residents of MIT's Media Lab apparently also come to life when no one (except a film crew) is watching, with sensor shoes, pushpin computers, and various other gadgets roaming the halls and causing a bit of mischief. This particular film catches them hacking into the brain of our favorite little Gremlin-esque robot, Leonardo (no relation to director Leonardo Bonanni -- we think), and rewiring him to edit Wikipedia on -- what else -- an OLPC. Check out the full flick after the break, and just remember this warning the next time your Robosapiens and Pleos try using a Dremel to drill into your brain while you sleep...

[Via Waziwazi]

We've been following Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child initiative ever since the machine was still priced below $100, but once they jettisoned the hand crank, we've been wondering how they're going to deliver power to the 500MHz device. Enter Squid Labs, an R&D firm chock full of MIT Media Lab grads -- the same lab that Negroponte founded and ran for many years -- with an innovative human-powered generator that works by repeatedly tugging on a string in a motion similar to firing up a gas-powered lawnmower or snowblower. The team at Squid designed the external generator so that one minute of pulling yields ten minutes of computing, and included an electronic variable motor loading feature so that it can be operated by users of varying strength. Another nice feature of this system is that it can be configured in a number of different ways: users can either hold the device in one hand and pull the string with the other, or clamp it to a desk and operate the string with their legs. As long as further testing confirms the design's durability, and a better option doesn't come along, it looks like we'll be seeing classrooms full of string-pulling students when the laptop finally goes into mass production next year.

[Via Slashdot]