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Researchers develop tiny windmills that can power your gadgets (video)
Portable solar chargers aren't so out of the ordinary anymore, but minuscule windmills that can charge your phones? Now, those are something new. A couple of UT Arlington researchers, Smitha Rao and J.C. Chiao, have developed wind turbines so small (they measure 1.8mm at their widest), you can stick 10 of them on a grain of rice. One possible application is to embed a bunch of the Lilliputian devices onto a phone sleeve -- you can then simply hold your phone out the window or place it in front of a fan to recharge. Since the tiny windmills are made of durable nickel alloy, you won't have to worry about strong wings blowing their little blades off, either. Although it's still too early to say if this leads to an actual product, a Taiwanese company is already exploring commercial opportunities, so cross your fingers if you dream of owning a wind farm for ants.
Emerging tech conference looks at controller design
Tom Armitage delivered an interesting session at O'Reilly's Emerging Technology Conference last week called "From Paddles to Pads: Is Controller Design Killing Creativity in Videogames?" and we make money not art has taken the trouble of giving us a rough transcription. Armitage's presentation focused on the complexity of the modern gamepad, while finding salvation in the Revomote and various novelty controllers (Guitar Hero, Donkey Konga, Singstar Karaoke, Buzz, even Steel Battalion). Most interesting is that Armitage is not in the games industry, but rather a longtime gamer and, by extension, one who is presumably very comfortable with said designs. If you agree with Mr. Armitage's assessment, then Nintendo might lead their revolution from the inside out, attracting disaffected gamers as well as newly engaged onlookers. [Thanks, Eliot]
