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DS Lite gets "liter," less functional
This is one crafter's answer to all the criticisms about the DS Lite being too bulky and sturdy. Or it would be, if those criticisms existed and weren't crazy. Junyang's papercraft DS Lite is actually part of a series of miniaturized electronic devices, any of which would make a very nice (and very small) display piece. But we especially love when paper and glue come together to honor our favorite handheld. And look at that teensy Nintendogs cartridge! It actually fits into the cartridge slot. That's the kind of detail work that has us rushing to print our own and get started, after we edit the image to change Nintendogs to Elite Beat Agents. Knowing our stumpy, clumsy fingers, the end result of our folding and gluing won't be quite so photogenic. But hey, that's no reason not to try it yourself!
Today's paperiest video: Paper Xbox 360
Move over Paper Mario, and say hello to the paper Xbox 360. Using photographs and taking measurements, Junyang has recreated, in miniature paper form, an Xbox 360 Premium console complete with the hard drive, the box, and the HD-DVD add-on drive. The CD trays even slide open, not too shabby.He provides part one of the instructions in PDF form, but cruelly denies parts two and three, encouraging you to figure it out for yourselves. What a taskmaster. Check out the video after the jump, and let's see if a crop of paper consoles start appearing. They'd make nice cubicle or shelf decor.
It's a mini paper Xbox 360 with a HD DVD drive
Over at Paper Art Gadgets Junyang posted a sexy miniature paper model of an Xbox 360 with HD DVD drive. Junyang creates 3D paper models of various electronics, completing each from the design process through folding the creation with his own hands. The Xbox 360 paper model comes complete with a Premium box and a DVD tray that pops out. He also created the HD DVD player add-on which measures only 1.5" long and also features a disc tray. And for those of you who want to create a paper 360 for your own, you'll have to be semi-resourceful, because Paper Art Gadgets doesn't supply all their print outs or instructions. But you may be able to create something with this.Two mini Xbox 360 masterpieces made out of paper. We're so in love. Though, we'd like to see a paper power brick included, so we could fire this bad boy up. Paper power brick ... that's just funny.[Thanks, laserboyjc]
Water reactive sheets could become critical part of MEMS
While we've seen mention (and patent applications) of origami-based gadgetry before, the latest gizmo to incorporate crafty folding also melds it with a water reactive plastic in order to create diminutive shapes that "could be used to make certain microscopic 3D structures in large quantities." Gurus from ESPCI and the Paris Institute of Technology have teamed up to concoct specialized plastic sheets which react in curious ways to wee water droplets, and while the process itself seems more interesting than useful, the bigger picture could enable this technology to become a staple of microelectromechanical systems used in printing heads and video displays. Interestingly enough, the scientists were even kind enough to create a time lapse video of the morphing process in action, so be sure to tag the links below if you're even remotely interested in seeing a two-dimensional triangle mystically convert into a pyramid.[Via NewScientistTech]
A not so fairytale wedding
Subscribers to Nintendo's mailing list received a classy invitation to Bowser and Peach's wedding early this morning. Posing for a photo to promote Super Paper Mario's release, the groom looks none too happy about the event. If the crossed arms and eye-contact avoidance aren't indication enough of his displeasure, then the literal and metaphorical distance between the couple gives it away.Years from now, the Koopa King will look back on his glory days of battling plumbers and racing karts, regretting that he ever gave into the princess' pressures, trapping himself in this loveless marriage. He'll sigh and wonder how old age crept up on him. After finishing his cigarette on the driveway -- Peach hates it when he smokes inside -- he'll saunter back into the house that's never felt like home, pushing the memories of what once was out of his mind.Head past the post break for the full invitation.
Marathon guide-writing for Super Paper Mario
In an attempt to get a Super Paper Mario guide out as quickly as possible, the team at WiiGuideYou is burning through the game at warp speed and putting up a chapter a day of their guide. Chapter 1 is scheduled to go up the 10th, and each day will see a new chapter, until the series (and the game) concludes with Chapter 8. They're even attempting to get Chapter 1's guide up early.If they accomplish this task, it means that either they worked day and night at getting through the game to provide a guide, or that the game is really, really easy. If you don't mind the extreme spoilers that are, in fact, the whole point of game guides, then check it out and cheer them on!
Today's "looks good on paper" video: Super Paper Mario commercial
You've already been able to see some of our impressions of Super Paper Mario from GDC and watch the first 30 minutes of the gameplay, but watch the first TV commercial? Not until now.The "Wii would like to play" campaign is slightly creepy, just because we don't want shadowy Nintendo agents watching us while we get our game on ... but if they come bearing Wiis and games, we wont complain too loudly.You can also watch the introduction of the game after the jump. It's a lot shorter than the 30 minute gameplay video, and much easier on the patience. With all of the videos available, where's the game already? Looks like fun.
Build your very own Puma, from Gitaroo-Man
If it isn't obvious, I have a somewhat unhealthy obsession over Gitaroo-Man, the first music game from iNiS. The lovable music game featured the titular hero and a biting sidekick, Puma. Thanks to the efforts of one Nick Hayes, you'll be able to build your own papercraft version of Puma in incredible, high-definition, 3D life. You won't need to learn any black magicks: all you need is this printout, a pair of scissors, some glue and (optionally) a dime. Download the PDF cutout here.[Via Siliconera]
Wii Warm Up: Reusing assets
The unreleased Gamecube Kirby looked to be running on the Super Smash Bros. Melee engine. Most of the character art in Super Paper Mario Iooks a whole lot like that of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and we don't think that's just consistency in style. Nintendo seems to be reusing art and code from previous games. The advantages of such a practice are obvious: reduced cost, quicker development cycles, and less need for debugging.But does it bother you to have a new game that isn't entirely new? Should Intelligent Systems have redrawn Mario for their new game? Or is there no reason to redo perfectly good work? What do you all think about the reuse of assets in new games?
GDC 07: Super Paper Mario meta...preview? [update 1]
The RPG-turned-platformer, Gamecube-turned-Wii title Super Paper Mario was on display on the show floor, and it continues to delight hippies gamers everywhere. Several sources have posted impressions of the title, lauding the innovative puzzle mechanic of perspective-swapping and the bright, trippy graphical style. Game|Life's impressions 1up's impressions IGN's impressions But what impressions could be more important than ours? That's right. God's. But that's it. So, stay tuned for impressions of pretty much every Nintendo game you've ever wanted to play but couldn't because you're not at GDC, including yon Super Paper Mario. Word.[Update 1: Thought of a classier post title.]
Polymer Vision's Readius rollable display gets face time
Talk about a long time coming, as what is now Polymer Vision has seemed to finally put all the pieces together and produce an actual working product from the idea envisioned by Philips around two years ago. We knew the spinoff was looking to commercialize the product later this year, but after nearly 24 months of coming up empty, a bit of understandable skepticism begins to seep through. Nevertheless, the firm's rollable, pocket-friendly "Cellular-Book" was out and showing its stuff at 3GSM, proving that there's at least something there to put on store shelves. Although the unit on display was indeed a standalone device -- sporting 16 shades of grey, USB, "10-days" of battery life, 4GB of internal storage, and GPRS, EDGE, and DVB-H connectivity just like we'd heard -- Polymer Vision is actually hoping to integrate its e-paper technology into mobile handset displays in the near future. Sadly, there still didn't seem to be any hints of a release date for the nifty pocket reader, but be sure to click on through for the very long awaited pictures of the Readius in action.[Via Slashdot]
Nintendo spills the beans on Super Paper Mario release date
We just received a press release from Nintendo, containing some interesting news. This news, which reveals the proposed release date for Super Paper Mario on the Wii, was delivered in the form of a mock wedding invitation. The wedding we were "invited" to? Why, none other than the union between Peach and Bowser, of course.This is undoubtedly part of the game's story, so we'll just thank Nintendo for its cute way to reveal to us the news of when Super Paper Mario releases. Oh, you want to know, as well? Sure, sure, we'll tell you ...Oh, we didn't? Must've slipped our mind ...There we go again, forgetting to tell you ... ... it's April 9th 2007[Via press release]
Mead's Five Star school binder with integrated speaker
There are bookbags and knapsacks aplenty with built-in speakers and iPod interfaces, but what about those blissful days where you've just got a single class on the docket and only need a single binder? Mead's latest kit, albeit a bit on the childish side to be proudly used in a college environment, rocks the rugged, paper-holding ability that binders have had for years, but rather than reinventing the proverbial wheel, this speaker-packed Five Star notebook has simply evolved with the times. Featuring those same bright, vivid color schemes that lose their luster with haste, this class organizer reportedly features an iPod / DAP connection (likely a 3.5-millimeter aux input) and a set of built-in speakers, but the RMS rating, battery life, and overall sound quality remains in question. Still, these tune-playing binders should hit your favorite retailers just a hair before your middle-schooler forces you to go "back to school shopping" in the late-summer timeframe.[Via Textually]
Domtar launches antimicrobial office paper, Scranton moans
Narrowly edging out Dunder Mifflin as the "world's first" paper company to deliver antimicrobial office paper to North America, Domtar is ready to crank up the winders in order to deliver its specialized paper to healthcare agencies, educational facilities, and dysfunctional offices everywhere. The paper, which can purportedly be written and printed on without any special accommodations, is coated in a silver compound that protects it from "he growth of bacteria, odors, fungus, mold and mildew." Furthermore, laboratory studies reportedly show a 99-percent reduction of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and K. pneumoniae compared to unshielded sheets, adding to its shelf life and keeping those secretaries free from lingering germs. While we're not exactly certain when reams of this germ-free paper will hit your local Office Depot, we're well on our way to a perfectly sterile office environment -- well, aside from that chewed up pen cap you handle each day.[Via Wired]
Release dates hit for Super Paper Mario, Mario Party 8
That's right. Super Paper Mario, a positively charming title once scheduled for the Gamecube, has been confirmed by the latest issue of Nintendo Power for an April release. The game, which will use the controller retro-style (read: on its side) to emulate that classic Mario feel, will use the A button to flip-flop between the 2-D and 3-D perspectives. Truly, we haven't seen a game of this particular dimensional scope since Yoshi's Story! For a bit more information on the title, check here.Also, Mario Party 8, the first Wii entry in the seminal series, will be dropping on March 5th, according to Nintendo's official site. Along with Sonic and the Secret Rings, March and April are actually turning out to be some decent months for the little white box. With Wario Ware: Smooth Moves this past month and Wii Play on February 12th, we're set for awhile. You?[Thanks to Ali, Naruhodou, and Castellanos!]
Paper checks out of hospital, ePrescription takes its place
Seems as though paper has found its way into another battle -- the National ePrescribing Patient Safety Initiative wants to replace our old tree-based friend with a presumably much safer Web-based system. Rather than continually risking the lives of millions of people by making pharmacists decipher doctors' illegible handwriting, prescriptions will are entered into a website, hopefully leaving less room for harmful and fatal errors. It's amazing that only "one fifth of U.S. doctors" use this kind of electronic system; by now you would think the robots that have invaded hospitals would be the ones doling out the happy pills, but we guess that's a battle left for another day. On the plus side, hackers will now have endless access to the uppers they need for monitoring their botnets around the clock.
Rocket develops "paper battery" for use with RFID, cosmetics
Nearly a year after NEC rolled out its paper-thin ORB batteries, Korean battery manufacturer Rocket is launching (ahem) its own uber-thin battery. While juicy, scientific details aren't readily available, we do know that the "paper battery" won't include any toxic chemicals, is "flexible and thin," and molds together the companies "thin film technologies" with its battery knowledge. The company hopes to entice heavy RFID users, smart card manufacturers, and "cosmetic / drug delivery system" providers to utilize the paper battery in powering the already-miniscule devices. Oddly, Rocket also envisions its new creation being used in "teeth whitening, anti-aging, and wrinkle care," though we're not exactly sure how electrifying a tooth will brighten your smile. Nevertheless, the company hopes to have its newfangled power source attached to crates and body parts real soon, and confidently assures us that it "doesn't cause explosions or fires." Phew. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]
Super Paper Mario scrapped for Cube, coming to Wii
According to the latest Wii Mailbag over at IGN, Super Paper Mario, the sequel to the awesome game that is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, is to release on the Wii and not the GameCube. The game was supposed to release next month, but according to retail listings and the fact that Japan has yet to receive the game, we doubt this is still the planned release date.Given all of this, we can safely assume that gesture-based controls will somehow be implemented into the final game. We can see ourselves utilizing the Wiimote as if it were a hammer, gripping it tightly with both hands above our head and swiping it downward to squash Goombas. Flicking the nunchuk attachment upward could naturally cause Mario to jump in-game. In what other ways could the Wiimote's unique control scheme improve the game experience?
Shape-shifting paper could help tiny bots take flight
A new breakthrough in materials science may pave the way for those inevitable swarms of tiny flying robots that will one day darken the skies and strike fear into us all, as researchers in South Korea have succeeded in coaxing specially-prepared cellophane paper to rapidly curve and straighten itself in an insect-like flapping motion. Although scientists have apparently known since the 1950's that wood was piezoelectric, meaning that it bends slightly when exposed to electricity, it took a team from Inha University with help from Texas A&M to discover that the same property also holds true for other cellulose-based material. By coating both sides of a sheet of cellophane with thin layers of gold, the researchers were able to create so-called Electroactive paper (EAPap) so sensitive that the voltage from a microwave beam provides enough power to trigger its unique shape-changing abilities. Oddly enough, no one is quite sure of the physics behind the transformation -- theories center around pressure changes resulting from the movement of ions -- but regardless of how it works, we're sure that more than a few governments will be most interested in deploying this technology to beef up their domestic and international surveillance programs.[Via Roland Piquepaille and ScienceNOW]
Origami fix for squishy MacBook trackpads
It seems that a good many MacBook owners are having issues with their trackpads. Instead of the usual crisp "click" that we have all come to know and love from our Apple portables, they are instead greeted by a laggardly squish. These are not the first Apple notebooks to have trackpad issues; my rev D PowerBook has a trackpad button that is so stiff and noisy it can be heard across the room, but that's beside the point. As is par for the course with most of these issues that only seem to show up in a few machines, Apple is refusing to do anything about the squishy trackpads. Fortunately for those plagued with the issue, an enterprising paper-folding power user found that sticking some folded up paper between the battery and the trackpad fixes the issue. Via Slashdot.
