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Climbing robot can scale walls on a supersonic stream of air, won't leave fingerprints behind
There are plenty of wall climbing robots roaming the Earth, but few can scale heights as gracefully as this little guy can. Developed by researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, this bot can wind its way across any glass, metal or cloth terrain, without even touching its pods to the surface. The secret lies in Bernoulli's Principle, which states that as the speed of a fluid increases, its pressure decreases. This phenomenon also applies to streams of air, which, when moving at high speeds around of a circular gripper, can create a vacuum strong enough to hold things without actually touching them. In this case, air shoots out of the robot's feet at more than 2,000 miles per hour, creating enough pressure to lift the craft, while holding it close to the wall. The technology isn't new, but rarely can it support the weight of an entire device -- let alone the extra cargo that this climber's non-contact adhesive pads can hold. Researchers say the supersonic grippers will be available in "some months" and will probably cost "a few hundred dollars." As for the bot itself, Canterbury's engineers envision it being used for industrial inspections -- though the more we think about it, the more we realize just how dirty our windows are. Video after the break.
Android-based Cellular printer writes text messages on your wall (your real-life one)
Ever wish you could write on people's walls in real life? Behold the Cellular Wall Printer, a collection of felt markers that receives messages via Facebook, Twitter, and SMS, and then transcribes them across any flat surface. Here's how it works: seven individually controlled servo motors push the felt pens up and down to leave dots and dashes in their wake. The contraption is manually operated, and Liat Segal, the inventor, adds that there's a timing system to ensure the printer transcribes neatly, even if you are in motion. Most interesting, perhaps, is the fact that the rig is controlled by an Android application, and uses an IOIO board to connect the electronic components to an Android device. (Our resident mobile expert Myriam Joire is pretty sure we're looking at a skinned Nexus One.) Check out a whimsical video demonstration after the break, with a couple more at the source link.
New York Times reveals labyrinthine subscription plans, Canadian readers already hitting paywall
We knew it was coming, and now The New York Times has followed through on its promise to erect a paywall for online content, which means no more free news -- kind of. Starting today in Canada and March 28th in the US, NYTimes.com will ask visitors reading more than 20 articles per month to pay for their info fix. The new plan offers monthly subscriptions of $15 with a smartphone app, $20 with tablet app, or $35 for complete digital access -- subscribers with a physical subscription will be granted a full pass, except on e-readers. Further convoluting the pay structure, entry from sites like Twitter and Facebook won't face the same restrictions, and access via Google is set at five free visits per day. Other news sources, including The Wall Street Journal, have already started charging for online content in the face of declining ad revenue, but this is certainly one of the most elaborate systems we've seen so far. The subscription plan was unleashed in Canada today, allowing the paper to iron out any kinks before hitting the US, which means you've got just under two weeks to hit NYTimes.com completely free -- after that, prepare to be confused.
18-screen digital paint wall supports touch, iPad doodling (video)
Look, we all love finger painting. It's an American tradition, after all. But just like nap time, it somehow vanishes into oblivion once adulthood creeps into play. But a sect of kids at the University of Illinois at Chicago aren't about to enter the so-called "real world" without a few more flicks. Researchers at the institution have crafted a digital paint wall out of 18 HD screens. Total resolution? 8160 x 2304 pixels. Better still, the wall is touch-enabled, and if you can't get close enough to doodle, there's an iPad app that lets an extra artist add their touch via WiFi. Currently, it can handle 32 touches at once, and those in charge are hoping to make it play nice with multiple tablets in due time. Hit that play button below for a look at what you're missing, Mr. Grown-Up. [Thanks, Jason]
Gold Capped: When glyph prices hit the wall
Every week, Gold Capped brings you tips on how to make money on the auction house. This article from inscription specialist Steve Zamboni has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. Imagine a typical glyph market on a busy realm: dozens of goblins sitting hunched over their steam calculators surrounding the trading pit, each figuring their costs and profits down to the last copper trying to gain an advantage over the others. Thousands of glyphs are posted every hour, most to be canceled and reposted an hour later at even lower prices. Eventually, one of the goblins has a flash of brilliance (or cracks under the strain; the records aren't clear) and posts all of his glyphs at a loss. The calculation engines grind to a stop, leaving the goblins to stare up at the big board in silence, then at each other. "Now what?" We call it the wall. One scribe picks a price and tries to hold the entire market to that price. If it holds, the market stops at the wall, and everyone on the other side watches helplessly as sales drop to zero. Sometimes it's done to drive off competitors; sometimes it's done to dissuade new competitors from entering the market, or just to burn up excess ink supplies ... or even just out of boredom to cause pointless drama, goblin style. Like all good goblin inventions, the wall appears simple on the outside, but remains complicated (and somewhat explosive) when put into practice. One complication is that there is more actually more than one type of wall.
Tromso students put together the best interactive display wall we've seen yet (video)
Take everything you thought you knew about multitouch and throw it out. Okay, keep the Minority Report stuff, but throw everything else out. What we're looking at here is a 22 megapixel display, stitched together from the output of no less than 28 projectors (7,168 x 3,072 total resolution), which just happens to respond to touch-like input in a fashion even Tom Cruise would find fascinating. You don't have to actually touch the wall, floor-mounted cameras pick up your gestures in 2D space and a 30-node computer setup crunches all the computational and visual data to deliver some buttery smooth user interaction. For demo purposes, the makers of this system grabbed a 13.3 gigapixel image of Tromso and took it for a hand-controlled spin. See the mesmerizing show on video after the break.
HP shows off 'wall of touch' concept, touching optional
We're not quite sure why HP didn't bother setting one of these up at CES, but the company's so-called "wall of touch" is apparently already in use by a handful of companies in prototype form, and HP has now shown it off to The Wall Street Journal. Interestingly, while you're welcome to touch the wall all you want, you don't actually have to, as it makes use of a camera-based system and a magnetic strip to detect where you're pointing and when you near the wall. Of course, HP is mostly pitching this one towards companies intending to use these in public spaces (Continental Airlines has one of the first at the Houston Airport), but HP does say that if there's enough interest it will turn it into a "mainstream product" -- albeit a mainstream product that costs anywhere from "a couple thousand dollars" to $100,000 for something with more advanced features like HD video conferencing. Head on past the break for a quick video overview.
App Giveaway: Emoti puts a face on your Facebook updates
It's not easy to make your Facebook updates stand out from the crowd; lots of text and not much visual stimulation may mean that your friends just pass right by the critical details of what you ate, saw, supported or enjoyed today. Giving those wall posts and status updates a bit of eye candy to make them zing isn't that hard (the Funmail app I reviewed a few months back can do it), but if you want to have your choice of 70+ emoticons to decorate your Wall, your best bet is probably the new Emoti app from nodconcept [$1.99, iTunes link]. Emoti couldn't be simpler to use; once you authenticate it with Facebook Connect, you can pick from the scrolling pages of icons to find the one that perfectly matches your message and mood. One tap, and you can begin writing your post, then send it up to the service with another. The app automatically downloads newly available artwork on launch, so you'll see supplements to the existing 74 images over time. Maybe every single update doesn't deserve its own pictorial expression, but when you can't say it any other way, Emoti has what you need. Of course, TUAW also has what you need: five promo codes for Emoti to give away to our readers! Thanks to nodconcept for sharing. Just leave a comment on the post telling us your most pithy Wall update, and you'll be entered in the giveaway. Read on for the rules. Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment on this post letting us know your most pithy update to your Facebook Wall. The comment must be left before Tuesday, 1/19 at 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Five winners will be selected in a random drawing. Prizes: each winner will receive one promotional code for Emoti (ARV $1.99) Click Here for complete Official Rules.
Hearthstone also displays your characters on Facebook
Last week, when we reported on the Facebook I Play WoW app reaching a full 100,000 users, a lot of commenters mentioned another app over there, Hearthstone, that's got a good reputation from the people who use it. I checked it out, and indeed, it's an excellent alternative (or addition -- there's nothing keeping you from using both) to let you show your WoW characters off on Facebook.Just like I Play WoW, Hearthstone pulls your character information directly from the Armory, and displays it in a number of ways around Facebook, including, if you so choose, on your profile pages or on your wall. A few of our commenters said they liked Hearthstone's display better, but I didn't see any major differences there -- they both display your character, class, level, and server, and both will click through to pages where you can see more stats and discuss the character with others. Hearthstone will also let you change your character's image to a custom choice and enter a bio, though I Play WoW has some customization options as well. Hearthstone has an "equipment history," so even if you shard those epics you can still brag about having them. And finally,Hearthstone will let you play with the characters right on Facebook, and you can /salute or /duel the characters of your friends.Overall, they're both worth checking out if you want to show off some of your World of Warcraft progress on Facebook. Obviously, I Play WoW is bigger, but as our commenters pointed out, Hearthstone has some excellent features as well.
Philips shows off "Imagination Light Canvas" for the easily entertained
Look, we're sorry, but 1,420 LEDs just isn't cutting it anymore. Maybe back when we were children a touchable 14-foot by 6-foot wall lit up by a myriad of magical blue lights would've managed to pull us away from our Lincoln Logs for a minute or three, but the kids of today grew up on Baby Einstein and a post-Steve Blue's Clues -- they aren't easily impressed. The Philips "Imagination Light Canvas" is being shown off at the Mercy Medical Center in Rogers, Arkansas, and allows visitors to touch the wall and "paint with light." Whatever you draw slowly fades over time, and apparently you can draw using a bunch of different colors and shapes, though we're only seeing blue squares here. The wall can accommodate six people drawing at once, and pulls about as much electricity as a regular toaster. It'll be unveiled on March 16th.
Atlantic Technology showing off THX in-wall speakers
Along with the rise in custom home theater installations, in-wall speaker performance has come a long way in the past years. At CES, Atlantic Technology will be showing off its latest entry to the field, the IWCB-727. The name comes from "in wall, closed-box," a sure sign that these speakers are designed for higher performance than open-backed wall mounted speakers (as confirmed by their THX qualification). The company has put their Low Resonance Tweeter (LRT) in, which allows them to extend the tweeter crossover well into the midrange, to help smooth out the response -- a good thing for a speaker that's on a wall-sized baffle. And to make sure the sound is "just so," additional tech has been tossed in as well. Directional Vector Control electronically "steers" the tweeter into the room, and Boundary compensation takes care of midrange coloration caused by an adjacent wall or ceiling. Available Q2 2008 at $1200 each.
In-wall speaker round-up
By now we're sure most astute readers have noticed we are throwing more home theater gear on the site. In keeping with that trend, CEPro has a complete round up of 40 great in-wall speakers. In-wall tech has dramatically improved over the years as these speakers clearly demonstrate and a home doesn't have to be filled with the traditional wooden boxes to achieve quality sound. Sure, some of these speakers' sticker prices probably cost more than your HDTV but they sure do pump out great audio. The HDTV display is simply the starting point to enjoying everything high-def has to offer; high-quality audio completes the experience and in-walls might be just what the doctor wife ordered.
Vortex's wall climbing robot peeks in windows
While not the first wall climbing machine we've come across, Vortex's VRAM Mobile Robot Platform (VMRP) machine weds ascension and undercover surveillance in fine fashion. Aimed at law enforcement tasks, military missions, and fanatical hobbyists, this clinger is remotely controlled with the capacity to add "onboard intelligence and sensors to monitor VMRP status and health." It utilizes a vortex vacuum to suction itself to vertical surfaces, and then relies on the wheels to get it movin'. Moreover, this bot was built to withstand mild weather hazards and communicate wirelessly back to the user, and its ability to wield microphones, video cameras, and proximity sensors make this the ultimate eavesdropping tool. Sadly, we've no idea how much it'd take to get one of these in your needy palms, but free free to indulge in the video waiting after the break.[Via OhGizmo]
UK sculptor designs rotating wall for Liverpool
While we're sure more than a few citizens of Liverpool could think of much more productive ways to spend £450,000 ($887,490), there's nothing sweeter than turning a wall completely inside out for sculptor Richard Wilson. This uber-expensive piece of art was constructed at the former Yates's Wine Lodge building, and a massive oval shaped section of the building's exterior now rotates around and gives onlookers a glimpse of the interior without ever stepping foot inside. Dubbed Turning The Place Over, the installation will officially launch on June 20th and will run until the end of next year, and while we can't deny that this here project was more about making jaws drop than actually improving the city center, it's certainly something to look at. Check the video after the jump.[Via HackedGadgets]
The Wall screenwriter interview over at PSU
The guys over at PSU have an exclusive interview with Vladimir Mamontov, screenwriter for Burut's upcoming game The Wall. If you haven't heard of it before, The Wall is a post-apocalyptic FPS being developed in Russia using the GameBryo engine (of Oblivion fame). The interview contains some interesting details regarding the game, despite most of the latter questions being answered with, essentially, 'no comment'. There's no word on details like the final resolution of the game, disc space requirements or release date. Apparently it's too early to say, despite being in production for almost a year. In fact, judging from all the things that are still in consideration for the game we wouldn't expect to see a release before the end of 2008. Interesting points which are discussed include Sixaxis support, weapon customisation and an intriguing story outline. The environment screens are fairly pretty, too. This game looks like it could potentially be something quite special. A second chance in case Bethesda end up ruining Fallout 3, perhaps? Nah. That'll never happen.Read the full interview over at PSU and let us know what you think of the game. Had you even heard of it before? We hadn't.[Thanks Justin!]
Consumer Alert: Circuit City recalls Verge TV mounts
There is nothing more important than the safety of your family. [period] Sure, that flat screen hanging on your wall was a big investment but can you imagine what a 100+ lb screen falling from five feet could do to a child? Circuit City has issued a joint, voluntary recall for their in-house Verge brand TV mounts. This recall is for the tilting models only - VPSW103M & VPSW103M2 - as apparently, with an upward force, the locking mechanism could fail, causing the TV to fall forward. Not good. Circuit City does have a free repair kit available to correct this defect - call (888) 666-9897. Even if you aren't using this Circuit City house brand mount, go check your mount to make sure everything is nice and safe. [via HDTV Almanac][warning: link is a .doc file]
If you shoved a giant TV through a wall ... you might be a redneck
GamerDeals shows off a pimped out redneck flat screen system that shows the wonders you can work in small spaces with just a little bit of ingenuity, some know-how, and a lot of muscle. This adheres to the old DIY adage, "If it don't fit, just give it a good shove." The real question here though is ... what makes that house redneckish? Other than the guy who submitted it calling it redneck-style, it looks fairly decent to us, although we're not talking about the giant hole in the wall. Hopefully he didn't have to go through anything load-bearing.[Thanks, Fargo]
More ESRB ratings found for Virtual Console
The ESRB ratings website is a veritable treasure trove of nuclear launch codes, CIA secrets, and unannounced Virtual Console games. Recently, ratings have popped up for Mighty Bomb Jack, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire. While not all of the ESRB rated games have yet arrived on the console, it's fairly certain that they'll get here eventually.In addition, Super Ghouls n' Ghosts was announced not only for the Wii, but for the 360 and PS3. This would make it the first game to be released on all three systems' classic download services, which then brings up silly flame wars and pointless arguing.But seriously, the Wii version will totally be the best.(Note: The GameSpot article mentions that Galaga was also tagged for release, but we actually caught this back in January. We rock.)
Duo-Gard's IllumaWALL adds LED action to translucent architecture
We've seen plenty of illuminated wall applications, LED-infused or otherwise, but the green-minded folks over at Duo-Gard are integrating that disco-inspired action we all know and love into its translucent paneling, which gives buildings a breath of fresh sunlight throughout the day while cutting down on energy costs and potentially boosting your morale. The company's new IllumaWALL melds the benefits of daylighting panels with the completely unnecessary, but entirely sensational night-brightening action of LEDs, as the polycarbonate structures feature built-in, fully programmable lights that can output a steady ambient glow or put on "a light show of pulsating colors" if you're throwing a party at your pad. As expected, pricing on these panels vary greatly based on your installation needs, but if you're already looking to craft a new domicile or office building, and need to garner a bit of instant notoriety, IllumaWALL could do the trick.[Via Inhabitat]
ALU Media Wall makes wires disappear easily
If what you really want is a neat cable-less living room, a flat-screen seeming to be suspended on its own and don't want to tear into your walls to connect everything, ALU may have the television stand for you. It's a fake wall plus shelves for your equipment, that will support up to a 47-inch 185-pound flat-panel TV on its aluminum frame. We haven't seen this show up in the HD Beat flickr group yet, anyone willing to lay down $1,398 for the privilege?[Via QJ.net]
