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bHaptics' TactSuit is VR haptic feedback done right
Every now and then, we come across a new attempt to bring haptic feedback to VR, but we've yet to see one that's fully convincing; those that are still around tend to be both pricey and far from ready for the market. Well, this is apparently no longer the case thanks to bHaptics. At HTC Vive X demo day in Shanghai, I got some hands-on time with this Korean startup's TactSuit, a wireless kit consisting of a haptic mask (which is a rarity), two haptic sleeves and a haptic vest. The fascinating part here is that it comes with a total of 87 feedback points, which is a lot more generous than what the other suits offer. It'll also cost less than its direct competitor, Nullspace VR's $549 Hardlight suit which only has 16 feedback points.
Moon mission will test an anti-radiation vest for astronauts
For astronauts headed to Mars, the biggest threat might not be an unforgiving climate or dwindling supplies -- it could be gamma ray radiation that gradually wrecks their bodies. Explorers may soon have a way to shield themselves, though. StemRad has revealed that its AstroRad anti-radiation vest is set to trialed aboard the Orion capsule when it orbits around the Moon during its late 2018 dry run. The non-metallic, layered shields are custom-fitted to each astronaut in order to protect their vital organs without bogging them down.
Infamous: Second Son pre-orders get some pretty vests
Sony has teamed up with select artists to offer some exclusive vests for Infamous: Second Son protagonist Delsin Rowe. All those who pre-order the game through select retailers will get four vests in total, each designed by Penny Arcade, iam8bit, San Diego street artist Exist 1981 and artist and designer, Jos. Watch the video above for a closer look at each vest. Infamous: Second Son, set seven years after the events of Infamous 2, takes place in Seattle, Washington. The open-world superhero game from Sucker Punch launches for PS4 early next year.
CES 2013: iMusic BodyRhythm wants to pummel your shoulders via touch input
There's always a few wacky things here at CES, and at Pepcom's annual CES sideshow I stumbled upon the iMusic BodyRhythm. It looks a bit like a life jacket, but can be controlled by your iOS device via a special app. What does it do? It "massages" your shoulders via a series of tiny taps. Frankly, it wasn't the most relaxing massage I've had, as it felt more like Smurf paratroopers landing on my shoulders at strategic points, and then jumping around with clogs on. Still, the high-end leather and novelty of the product will mean the company intends to sell more to high-end customers in Asia than your average Apple Store customer in the Mall of America. The app had some pre-programmed massage sequences, but also added "games" like a drum tapping game and the ability to shake the device and get poked somewhat randomly. These were neat, but not what I'd call a comfortable massage. And the kicker to all this: This is a Kickstarter project with under US$1,000 pledged so far. It's a little hard to tell from the project page, but it looks like you can pre-order the vaporous product for the low price of $149. It's odd to see someone spending the money to attend both Pepcom and CES whilst also pitching a Kickstarter project. I would have thought that money could have been put toward making a shipping product, but welcome to the new age of wacky iOS accessories fueled by fever dreams of Kickstarter funding. Here's their pitch video:
Tim Cook declines dividends being paid to Apple employees
Apple's Board of Directors approved a dividend equivalent payment to employees holding restricted stock units, but this won't apply to Tim Cook, says a report in MacRumors. These RSUs vest after a period of time and are usually given to employees to entice them to stay with the company for a length of time. Tim Cook, for example, was awarded 1.125 million RSUs when he stepped into the CEO position last year. At the current dividend payment of US$2.65 per share, Cook would receive a payment of approximately $75 million. Keeping with his character as a kind and gentle leader of Apple, Cook is refusing to accept this dividend, says a recent SEC filing. [Via MacRumors]
Apple VP of iOS Scott Forstall cashes in $38.7 million of Apple shares
Tim Cook's salary came up in the news last month when he was awarded a million shares of Apple stock, and cashed out a few, in addition to his many other forms of compensation. And here's another Apple manager who's taking advantage of Apple's soaring stock price when he can. Vice President of iOS Scott Forstall reportedly cashed out over 64,000 Apple shares last week, earning US$38.7 million from the sale. Forstall picked up those shares in 2008. He got 120,000 shares back then as part of a bonus, and as those just vested (minus about half for taxes), he went ahead and cashed them out. But this doesn't leave Forstall without an investment in the company. He's still got 250,000 shares set to vest at different times in the next few years, in addition to 2,988 shares currently held, and that's in addition to an annual salary of $700,000. What did Forstall do to earn all this money? Oh, just run the iOS division, which picked up $29 billion for Apple in just the last quarter. Just that.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: flexible OLEDs, wind-energy skyscrapers and 3D-printing spider robots
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Exciting energy projects lit up the newswires this week as Inhabitat reported that Desertec will begin building the world's largest solar project in the Sahara Desert next year. We also saw a West Virginia wind farm use batteries to improve its performance, and we showcased the brand new Eco Whisper wind turbine, which is quieter and more efficient than three-bladed models. Meanwhile, Apple announced plans to build a major solar-powered iCloud data center in North Carolina, architects unveiled plans for a towering wind-energy generating skyscraper in Taiwan, and we shared ten tips for cutting down your electricity bill this winter. In other news, green transportation took off for the skies as the world's first manned electric multicopter launched its first flight. We also brought you six sexy electric cars that will be hitting the streets in 2012, plus one awesome compact camper that is a miniature house on wheels. Across the pond, Foster + Partners unveiled a massive Thames Hub plan to update Britain's energy and transportation infrastructure, and IKEA just announced plans to build a massive 26-acre suburb in East London. Researchers also brought to light several stunning new forms of energy-efficient illumination as they unveiled the world's most efficient flexible OLED, Samsung announced plans to launch a bendable OLED cell phone in 2012, and we showcased a luminous netted vest for nighttime cyclists. We also spotted several fresh life-saving gadgets -- a spindly 3D printed spider robot that can analyze hazardous sites, and a series of designer gas masks that question our psychological reliance on luxury labels. Finally, you won't want to miss the awesome tot-sized Dalek costume that is currently tearing up our Green Halloween Costume Contest for kids, and this rock-solid carbonite Han Solo costume from our Halloween contest for adults.
Modified radar gun identifies suicide bombers up to ten meters away
William Fox of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey and John Vesecky, his colleague at UC Santa Cruz, are working on a modified radar gun that can identify suicide bombs worn under the clothing. To do this, they cataloged the most common arrangements of looped wires used to construct "suicide vests," and developed software that can identify the radar cross-section of each. So far, results have been pretty good: according to New Scientist, "telltale factors in the polarisation of the reflected signals" allowed them to correctly identify volunteers dressed as bombers up to ten meters away, roughly eighty-five percent of the time. Of course, even with a success rate this high, such a system would be prone to kicking up false positives. In order to minimize this, the devices would have to combined with other technologies, such as smart surveillance camera systems and infrared imaging.
Scottevest debuts 'iPad compatible' clothing line, the world cringes (update: available now!)
If you're the kind of person who has no problem walking into the Apple Store on Walnut Street dressed in some urban approximation of safari gear, you'll probably go wild for Scottevest. The company sells travel vests and jackets that feature a million gadget-friendly pockets and little conduits for wires and such, meaning that even the geekiest among us can have a somewhat acceptable-looking PAN, if that's what you're into. And now its SeV Travel Vest is iPad compatible! Available July 1st for $100, please feel free to hit that source link to pre-order today. We will continue to look into the rumor that this is actually a re-badged Joojoo vest. Update: The founder and CEO of Scottevest, Scott Jordan, just sent us a video message (embedded after the break) to set the record straight. Apparently, the vest is available now -- unless you're ordering it in XXXL (black or khaki). And we're glad that he seems to appreciate our sense of humor.
Pain vest is compatible with World of Warcraft
If you've ever felt like you've experienced everything there is to do in World of Warcraft, and you're looking for something more, we may have the solution. The 3rd Space Vest from TN Games is a game accessory that players wear to let them feel damage as their characters receive hits. Fitted with eight pneumatic cells across the surface of the vest that push air at varying force levels, this peripheral literally lets you feel the pain, if you're into that.This vest was first announced back in March, but this is the first time we're told it will actually be compatible with an MMO. What better MMO to dish out the pain than the one with the most players? This vest is only available in the UK currently, at the price of £149.99. One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
Sensor vest promises to affirm that we're always stressed out
So maybe your stress level isn't sky high just yet, but even after an extended weekend, all it takes is that one email to get you right back where you were last Wednesday. As if you really needed something to tell you that (and if you don't have time to wait for Sweety to become a reality), a host of researchers have created a sensor-laden vest that will be able to inform wearers just how stressed they are. Developed as part of the EU's CONTEXT project, this sure-to-be-hip vest packs ultra-sensitive electrodes which register changes in muscle tension as individuals get more and more stressed, and in theory, letting someone know what's happening will allow them to simmer down before they further jeopardize their health (and the livelihood of colleagues, if you dig). Eh, we still prefer the Dr. Whippy method, honestly.[Via Talk2MyShirt, thanks Tony]
TN Games' impact-generating FPS Vest goes on sale
Are you a hardcore gamer? No, seriously -- a hardcore gamer. If so, you should have no qualms throwing down $169 for TN Games' FPS Vest now that it's available for order. The entire bundle includes an "impact-generating" wearable, an air compressor, USB cable, power supply and copies of 3rd Space Incursion and Call of Duty 2 for PC. Just don't wander too far outside of your house with this thing on, alright?[Via CNET]
TN Games straps on 3rd Space G-Force/Racing Vest
We're going to stop teasing TR Games about their motto – "get pounded on your own terms" – just long enough to give you all some info on its 3rd Space G-Force/Racing Vest and HXT helmet, first announced last week. The less puerile amongst you may also not be interested in donning a fashionably dubious vest or helmet while playing your video games, but for the rest of you/us, check out these specs: 6 large force cells are placed in the vest, with 2 in the back, 2 in the chest, and 2 more along the compression straps, all engineered to deliver that totally pleasurable experience of being hurtled at high velocity; the helmet has four cells for "head shots" with air jets over each ear for "near misses." Weird. Developers will need to build in support for the vest and helmet into their products using a freely available SDK but, something tells us, adoption will be sparse. We'll know more when the GFR Vest is released, in red and white, in mid-2008. There's no date for the helmet and no price for either, but you can check out a pic of the HXT after the break.
Medical force feedback vest tweaked for gaming
Over at the E for All Expo, doctor Mark Ombrellaro is demonstrating a medical feedback vest altered so that it works with video games. When an in-game character gets hit or shot, the gamer wearing the vest feels "pneumatic thumps" to their torso. Originally designed for remote medical inspections for prisoners and the elderly, the "3rd Space" vest will cost $189 when it launches in November, and will include an unspecified version of Call of Duty, along with a custom title. TN Games, the company that is suiting up the vest for gamers, plans on launching a version of the vest to simulate G-Forces for flight sims and racers later on next year.
Entrak's ventilationVest cools you down, ensures public humiliation
Air conditioned clothing is far from new, but thanks to Entrak, now the civilians in the crowd can don their own AC-equipped vest -- if you don't mind getting stared at while out in public, that is. The aptly-named ventilationVest is dubbed a "personal climate system" wrapped inside of an otherwise vanilla polyester vest, and reportedly utilizes "two battery-powered ventilation units concealed in its side pockets to circulate air" through a permeable liner. Additionally, the vest weighs just under three-pounds with all the gadgetry strapped in, and can purportedly keep a fresh breeze flowin' for a whopping eight hours sans a recharge. Unfortunately, there's no word on how much this fan-filled article will run you, and yes, it looks like that clashtastic blue will be your only color choice when ordering.[Via MedLaunches]
UK scientists testing air-conditioned vests for military use
Air-conditioned vests have certainly graced the bodies of armed men and women before, but an elusive new breed is being tested in the multi-million dollar Spinnaker Building at the University of Portsmouth to ensure that it'll keep soldiers cool from the brutal conditions in Iraq. Scientists at the school weren't at will to disclose all the nitty gritty details about the classified gear, but we do know that these bad boys utilize "a combination of air, liquid, and new applications of old technologies such as converting paraffin wax into liquid in chambers within the vests to absorb heat from the body." The gist of the testing is to create a suit that actually improves one's ability to make sound judgments while in the field and under extreme conditions, and it was also mentioned that a mysterious US defense contractor is hoping to tweak these and have 'em out "within one to two years." Now, if only these things were available en masse for our poor laps, we'd really be in business.[Via Gizmag]
Tactile display could convey signals on soldiers' backs
Although glitzy, stat-filled jerseys are certainly sufficient ways to get information off your chest (ahem), a new vibrating vest could give "body language" an entirely new meaning. Joining the air-conditioned and insulating renditions, this snazzy vest features a "tactile display" on the back, which is created by 16 small vibrating motors that are connected to an internal wireless control unit. The jacket "writes symbols and messages on its wearer's back," and while the actual writing resembles Braille more than text, it can supposedly be used to "send important commands to soldiers or firefighters, warning them of imminent danger when ordinary radios cannot be used." Commands are beamed to the vests via a wirelessly-enabled computer, and can stealthily inform platoons to stop, look in a specific direction, run, or slow down. The US Army is partially funding the research, as it hopes to investigate different ways to communicate when hand signals and / or radio transmissions aren't effective. During initial testing, results have shown nearly flawless interpretation by participants, and while we're not exactly sure when we can expect rumble-equipped gear to grace our armed forces, the problem of "excess noise from the motors" has to be quelled before hitting the battlefield.[Via BoingBoing]
