bacteria
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US Army eyes acoustic trapping for filtering bacteria from water
Don't bother asking "why" when it comes to governmental wishes -- just accept the fact that the US Army needs a more efficient way of filtering bacterial spores from water. All jesting aside, the actual process of filtering water and investigating what types of critters are swimming about is surprisingly complex, and currently, it still requires a good bit of human interaction to overcome clogs that frequently occur. Thanks to a little research going down at MIT, it's looking like sound may be the answer. Yeah, noise. The Army is funding a project that'll determine whether an acoustic standing wave would be able to jostle things in a way that clogs would be avoided, and if it pans out, mad scientists could even monitor water quality remotely. We told you telecommuting was a beautiful thing, now didn't we?
Researchers work to replicate bacterial communication, add a bit of chaos to transmissions
Up until now, most scientists felt that the uncertainty introduced by Brownian motion would lead to unwanted disruptions in the reception of information, particularly when talking about transmissions within computers. But do we really need all that certainty when using CPUs to solve alien mysteries? According to researchers at the University of Toronto, the answer is a probable "no." Recent discoveries over at the institution involving the replication of bacterial communication have paved the way for future investigation of using molecular communication in computing, but we're obviously a good way out from liquid cooling merging with liquid processing. Update: Sachin Kadloor, a current graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, worked on this while a graduate student at the University of Toronto. Prof. Ravi Adve from the University of Toronto, and Prof. Andrew Eckford from the York University, Canada are continuing to work on this problem.
Violight goes ultraviolent on your gadgets, leaves germ corpses in its wake
Violight has been in the business of UV-based germicide since way back in 2004, but now it's bringing its wares closer to our geeky hearts. Its new Cell Phone Sanitizer will nuke 99 percent of all germs and bacteria slithering around your phone or MP3 player, and it'll do it in under 5 minutes too. Or such is the claim, anyhow. Alternative applications for this ultra-versatile product include using it as gift packaging or as a display stand in stores -- you've got to love that added value right there. Some patience will be required before you lay down $49.95 for your very own UV zapper, as Violight's Sanitizer isn't hitting the market until at least October. Video teaser's ready right now, though, just after the break.
File under "ick": NYC iPad demo units sporting bacteria
Maybe it's not surprising that a flat surface touched by thousands of fingers would end up harboring some nasty critters, but the Daily News has a word to the wise for iPad shoppers in the Big Apple: BYO hand sanitizer. The paper surreptitiously swabbed and cultured samples from iPads at the 5th Avenue flagship store and at the unfortunately-nicknamed "Meatpacking" store on W. 14th Street. Turns out those oleophobic screens don't repel everything. One of the cultures turned up Staphylococcus aureus, a nasty pathogen that's responsible for skin infections and other illnesses. Another showed less-virulent yeast and bacterial contamination. Apple insists that it keeps the iPads clean and that the stores are a healthy environment... but perhaps a small dispenser of antibacterial wipes would be in order. In the meantime, before and after playing with those iPads -- wash your hands! Note: As commenters have pointed out, the Daily News neglected to sample other commonly-touched items like subway railings and doorhandles -- chances are they would have found similar bugs in those places, too.
Man creates Bluetooth SNES controller, makes us jealous
While the image above appears to be a Super Nintendo controller with its cord mercilessly ripped out, it is actually much more. It is, in fact, the shell of an SNES controller stuffed with the guts of a fantastically ugly Bluetooth controller. The project was created by a modder known as Bacteria (no stranger to awesome mods). All the buttons function properly with the exception of the select button -- the Bluetooth controller only had a start button, you see -- and it runs on a single AA battery. Basically, it's the perfect way to enjoy all those legally obtained Super Nintendo games you have sitting on your hard drive. You can check out a video of the controller in action after the break. If you'd like to make one of your own, you can find a full guide here.
Bacteria creates Bluetooth SNES controller, makes smartphone gamers drool (video)
We recently checked out the Game Gripper, which quickly turns a Motorola Droid keyboard into a gamepad, and when it comes to simplicity and cost it doesn't get much better than that. But, it isn't quite the same as a real controller, not like this creation from Bacteria, creator of many a wonderfully hacked console. Here he took an MSI BGP100 Bluetooth GamePad and stuffed it into a classic SNES controller shell, enabling all the buttons except, sadly, the lowly Select. It's all demonstrated in a thrilling video after the break that features action, gameplay, and nearly a minute of screw-turning excitement. The best part? He was hired to do this, meaning if you ask nicely (and write a check) he might just make one for you, too.
Bacteria's back with portable Nintendo 64, complete how-to guide
The quest to build the perfect portable Nintendo 64 continues, but we imagine we'll stop seeing so many disparate designs soon. That's not because Bacteria's latest bulbous handheld has achieved perfection -- far from it -- but rather because he's provided a 2.5-hour, step-by-step video guide to help you build it from the ground up. And hey, the system isn't too shabby, either. The "iNto64" portable features integrated Controller, Rumble and Expansion Paks for complete N64 functionality, built-in speakers and a headphone jack, rechargeable batteries for up to three hours of play, even a video-out port if you get tired of staring at the ubiquitous 5-inch Sony PSone LCD. The only obvious oversight is controller ports for more inputs -- seems our buddy Bacteria wasn't a big fan of GoldenEye. See it play some of N64's other best games after the break, while we dust off our gamebit screwdriver. Obvious though it may seem, know what you're getting into before you do likewise; ripping up classic cart-based consoles isn't for the faint of heart.
Nanopool's spray-on liquid glass could keep bacteria, water off of pretty much anything
You know, we're beginning to wonder exactly what's genuine anymore. Our foods are being built in laboratories, our glass panes are being unwillingly converted to touch panels, and now, exposed objects don't even have to get grimy over the course of time. It's a travesty, we say. All disappointing rants aside, we have to confess that we're actually enthused about a newly developed spray-on silicon dioxide solution that promises to protect just about any surface from water, bacteria, dirt and UV radiation. The so-called "liquid glass" is said to be completely harmless to the environment, and creator Nanopool hopes that it can be used eventually on car coatings, clothing and even the nose cones of high-speed trains. Here's hoping it comes in a spray can -- our decade-old keyboard and mouse could probably use a coat of this. [Thanks, Pierre]
Bacteria taught to spin microscopic gears right round, could make for better solar panels
With a name like Bacillus subtilis and a size of five microns you probably wouldn't expect much in the way of heavy lifting, but don't let first impressions fool you. This tiny organism has been taught by scientists at Argonne National Laboratory to spin little gears that weigh one million times more than the bacteria themselves -- that'd be like you lifting both an original Xbox and a PS3 at the same time! Applications are, apparently, endless, but the one that caught our eye involves photovoltaics able to "snag lots of photons from the sun." You know what that means: more juice for your Prius so you can crank that Dead or Alive CD guilt-free.
See Mario transformed into bacteria
We're always happy to see gaming encroaching on the rest of the world, a sign that it's becoming more culturally accepted and mainstream, but this example is so nerdy, it might actually be a step in the other direction. What you see on the right there is the classic NES Mario sprite, recreated in specifically-engineered bacteria by the nanobiology laboratories at the University of Osaka, Japan. We love the idea of gaming's leading man being transformed this way, we can't help but think how great it would have been if Team Osaka could have achieved the same effect with fungus. ... You know, because the Mushroom Kin --- oh, never mind. [Thanks, Modern Epicurian]
Modder invents portable Turbografx-16, again
Modder "Bacteria" took a PSOne LCD screen and made something truly wonderful with it: a portable Turbografx-16 system called the "IntoGrafx" that can play both Japanese and American games. It features the standard two-button controller, with turbo switches, and a 5.4" screen. It's a nice compromise between the two existing Turbografx-16 handhelds, combining the TurboExpress/PC Engine GT's portability with the PC Engine LT's more usable screen size. Also, it's red.Bacteria has posted detailed build notes for this, in case you'd like to tackle this project yourself. If you're not technically inclined, however, you can always just play PC Engine and TG16 games on your PSP.[Via Engadget]
Bacteria's back at it with IntoGrafx portable TurboGrafx-16
Bacteria's already stepped up his game considerably with his recent IntoPlay portable PSone mod, but he's now truly won our hearts with his latest DIY build: a portable TurboGrafx-16. Like a redder, more bulbous TurboExpress, this one uses an official 5.4-inch Sony PSone screen for a display (and speakers), packs a built-in battery that's said to last three hours between recharges, and includes plenty of nice touches like a region free switch for American and Japanese games and a pair of turbo switches for the action buttons. Of course, like most such mods, this is a one-of-a-kind creation, but you can check out the complete build process at the link below, and get a glimpse of it in action in the video after the break. Read - ModRetro, IntoGrafx - Bacteria's portable TurboGrafx games system Read - Bacteria's site, IntoGrafx build
Carnivorous Clock eats bugs, begins doomsday countdown
It's not enough that humans gave robots a place to congregate to plan our demise, now we've adapted them with the ability to extract fuel from the very nectar of life. All that innocent experimentation with fuel cells that run on blood has led to this, a flesh-eating clock. This prototype time-piece from UK-based designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau traps insects on flypaper stretched across its roller system before depositing them into a vat of bacteria. The ensuing chemical reaction, or "digestion," is transformed into power that keeps the rollers rollin' and the LCD clock ablaze. The pair offers an alternative design fueled by mice, another contraption whose robotic arm plucks insect-fuel from spider webs with the help of a video camera, and a lamp powered by insects lured to their deaths with ultraviolet LEDs. Man, this is so wrong it has to be right.[Via Hack a Day, thanks Isaac]
Microbot controls swarm of bacteria, puts all flea circuses to shame
Sylvain Martel, what hast thou sown? The director of the NanoRobotics Laboratory at the École Polytechnique de Montréal this week is presenting his latest microbot at ICRA in Japan, and it's got a pretty crazy trick. The solar panel-equipped device sizes up to about 300 x 300 microns, and using a sensor to detect nearby pH levels, it's been shown as capable of controlling a swarm of 3,000 bacteria using electromagnetic pulses. Sure, Martel suggests there'll be some eventual medical uses for the technology, but we'd be lying if we said the video demonstration didn't give us the willies. See for yourself in the video linked below. Read - Announcement Read - Video
CMU researchers control microbots with mini magnets
Pardon the alliteration, but we're excited about the proposition here. For years -- millenniums, even -- scientists have been trying to figure out how to manipulate minuscule devices with magnets, and at long last, we've got a breakthrough in the field. Metin Sitti, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, is credited with creating a new control technique that could allow microscopic machines to "one day deliver drugs directly to a sickly cell or a tumor." Essentially, the diminutive bots glide across a glass surface covered with a grid of metal electrodes, and you're just a click away (it's the Read link, just so you know) from seeing a live demonstration on how they can be used to "anchor one or more microbots while allowing others to continue to move freely around the surface." Good times.
Bacteria returns with IntoPlay, the expectant looking portable PSone mod
We've seen plenty of semi-portable mashups from modder extraordinaire Bacteria, and now he's back with another luggable system that turns a PSone into a fully integrated handheld. The system is naturally made from a PSone console itself as well as a travel screen, a third-party controller, custom case, and, most importantly, a lot of skill and patience -- roughly 100 hours worth. You cay buy the tangible bits in a kit on eBay for £49.99 (about $70 US), then follow Bacteria's stupendously comprehensive instructions to build your own. Or, you can just watch the video below and live vicariously. [Via benheck.com Forums]
Bacteria's "Mini-Platform" gets GBA'd
British modder Bacteria really likes cartridges. The bigger the better. He turned an entire N64 console into a gigantic, beige cart, then took a slew of cheap plug 'n play games and did the same -- though smaller and minus the neutral tones. He dubbed that latest creation the Mini-Platform Plug'n'Play Console System, and promised that Game Boy Advance integration was coming soon. Two weeks later it's here courtesy of a little solder and hot glue, opening up the massive library of Game Boy and Advance titles. Yeah, the system isn't much to look at, and with an entire GBA hanging off the back it's pushing the limits of the word "mini." But, it is an intrepid hack and, like his others, he's more than happy to tell you how he did it. Video of this meaty portable in action after the break.
Bacteria returns with "Mini-Platform" console mod
Console modder "Bacteria" sure managed to turn a few heads with his previous multi-platform console mod, and he's now done it again with his new so-called Mini-Platform Plug 'n' Play Console System, which boasts the same, uh, distinct look we've come to expect. At the moment, this one relies solely on a variety of TV plug 'n' play game systems for its gaming options, which Bacteria converted into a more convenient cart form, although he also promises to make a GBA add-on for the system "in due course." As you can see in the video after the break, despite appearances, the system appears to work quite well, and you can even find step-by-step plans for building your own by hitting up the read link below.
Multi-platform handheld is an impressive mod
We've got to tip our hats to Bacteria for this one. A portable (although, you can easily argue just how portable the thing is) multi-platform handheld mod? Ambitious task, which hasn't been fully realized, yet enough progress has been made for us to realize that we have neither the technical know-how or guts to even attempt a project such as this. That doesn't mean we don't love checking out these kinds of mods.For a video, as well as a detailed account of the creation, hit up Bacteria's website here.%Gallery-22424%[Via Engadget]
Microbial fuel cell insights bring practical poo power closer to reality
It's been a while since we had an update from the exciting frontier of microbial fuel cell technology, but researchers at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute report a recent breakthrough in understanding exactly why bacteria seem to enjoy donating their electrons for the potential betterment of gadgetkind. The ASU team developed an equation that describes the relationship between the rate of bacterial metabolism and the electrical potential of the fuel cell, enabling a much more accurate model of how an MFC actually works. The researchers are working with this information to optimize fuel cell performance and power output, which to date has been disappointingly inefficient. Before long, we could totally be taking it for granted that our robotic underlings are powered by beer and poo.
