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MIT's robotic carpenters take the hassle out of custom furniture
If you want to build custom furniture, you usually need to know your way around a saw and devote days to both designing it and cutting every last piece. MIT's CSAIL might have a better solution: let computers and robots do the hard work. Its researchers have developed an AutoSaw system that makes it easy to craft furniture without the risk of cutting your fingers. You start on your computer by customizing furniture templates in OnShape's simple CAD system. After that, modified robots (a Roomba for a jigsaw, Kuka youBots for chopping) cut the individual parts. You still have to assemble it yourself, but the software will guide you through the process.
ICYMI: Read your dog's mood swings with tech
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new product out of Japan called Inupathy is giving dogs the Dug treatment, with a light up harness that tracks their heart rate, telling you information about their emotions via changes in color. We've no idea if it works as advertised, but you gotta admit the rainbow pattern signaling 'happy' is the most human expression for happiness in animals we could ever think of. Obviously your dog won't know what it means, since the silly loves are color blind.
Dying: Sinner Escape absconding to Vita, iOS
The Vita and iOS devices are set to receive a new dose of horror courtesy of Dying: Sinner Escape. The game is being made with help from the creator of Saw, according to developer Nekcom Entertainment, though the announcement neglects to name exactly which creator it's referring to. Neither Saw's director, James Wan, nor its screenwriter, Leigh Whannell, are mentioned specifically. Regardless, Dying clearly has a Saw vibe. It's story revolves around characters being trapped in foreboding environments, forcing them to solve strange puzzles and try to escape. The game will be released episodically with the first episode, "Last Hour," slated to arrive on May 25.%Gallery-188963%
God of War screenplay being rewritten by Saw VI alumni
It seems that God of War movie still exists on some nebulous, astral plane of pre-production. The screenplay originally penned by executive producer David Self is now being rewritten by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Melton and Dunstan come from a primarily horror-based background, with their resumes consisting of such classics as Saw IV, V and VI, as well as Feast, Feast II: Sloppy Seconds and Feast III: The Happy Finish. Considering how eloquent the dialogue generally is in a God of War game, they're probably the perfect choices.
$4,000 Leica lens split in two, sold on eBay as $1,000 piece of art
Discontinued products typically dip in value, but such is not the case with Leica lenses -- unless they're sawed in half. Leica students had an opportunity to "make" cutaways of two Leica lenses as part of a graduation project. A discontinued Tri-Elmar-M 28-35-50mm (valued at about $4,500 when fully functional) and a 50mm f/1.4 Summilux (about $3,700) were split, exposing various layers of glass and metal. Now forever unable to capture images of their own, all four halves were photographed, and the tri-focal lens was sold for $995 on eBay, complete with original box -- which, unlike its contents, appears to be in like-new condition. We were probably at home playing Frogger when Kermit went under the knife in biology, but we would have definitely had a perfect attendance record in any class that involved brushing camera equipment across a circular saw.
Wow, these Saw 3D advertisements sure look familiar
A pair of marketing posters for Saw 3D is under fire for ever so closely resembling PS3 advertisements you may have seen during Sony's "This is Living" campaign. We guess that's appropriate, seeing as how both the new film and the old campaign are designed to unsettle their viewers -- still, it would be difficult to argue that the Saw 3D posters' designs weren't totally yoinked from their PS3-promoting predecessors. The first comparison shot is posted above, while another, slightly less identical pair of posters can be found after the jump. What do you think? Is this mind-theft? Or extremely coincidental individual creation?
Inhabitat's Week in Green: speed demon saws, emergency bras, and the pedal-powered monorail
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. This week China blazed a trail for green transportation as their newest train smashed the world record for high-speed rail travel. We also showcased a cutting edge vehicle powered by six circular saws and saw Google invest 1 million dollars in Shweeb's bicycle powered monorail - we can't wait to give it a spin! We also saw big things brewing for alternative energy as wave power lit up the US energy grid for the first time and Stanford scientists unveiled a new type of nanotech solar cells that can produce ten times more electricity than standard PV's yet are thinner than a wavelength of light. Adobe also kept step with the latest in energy tech by upgrading its campus with a dozen Bloom Box fuel cells, and Volvo unveiled plans to create a new type of car body that doubles as a battery! In other news, this week we spotted a great crop of green gadgets including an "emergency bra" that doubles as a gas mask, a flexible new type of electronic skin, and a stunning collection of recycled speaker art, fit to mount on your wall. We also rounded up our five favorite eco gadgets for guys and we ooh'd and aww'd at these incredibly detailed scooters made out of paper!
Betcha didn't see Saw 2 coming
We admit that a sequel to Konami's Saw video game wasn't exactly something we ... saw coming. But it's happening, and it's being developed by Zombie Studios, the same outfit that made the first game. The sequel is due out this Halloween and is set between the first two (of what, 15 by now?) Saw flicks. Zombie's promising a revamped combat system -- that and even ickier deathtraps. You'll see the very first of these in the Saw 2 video above. Just click it and it'll play; no self-surgery required. %Gallery-90101%
Konami's 2009 revenues fall in the absence of legendary soldiers
[Q3 2009 Presentation (PDF)] Konami announced its financial results for its Q3 and the nine-month period ending December 31, 2009. The publisher's net revenues for the period were ¥190.9 billion, down 18.4% from the same period in 2008 -- despite breakout success in Japan with the DS dating sim Love Plus, "strong sales" of Dance Dance Revolution and "game content for overseas consumption, such as Saw." What was missing from 2009 was, of course, the megahit Metal Gear Solid 4. "Due to the absence of major titles, such as last year's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, however," the publisher said in its financial results release (PDF), "the overall sales fell this quarter as compared to the same period the previous year." Should Konami succeed in releasing Peace Walker, 2010 should look a bit happier. We're still shocked to see one of the biggest game companies ever become this reliant on a single franchise. Source: Consolidated Financial Results for the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2009 [PDF]
Google Zeitgeist 2009 shows year's top game searches
We would never call you out on your love for whatever crappy thing it is that you love but, guys, you're using Google wrong. Its recent Zeitgeist 2009 report shows what the most popular gaming term searches of this year have been and the results are pretty surprising.At the top spot is Ghostbusters, which is fine by us -- it was a pretty big deal when it was announced and it sold a lot of copies, so naturally folks were interested. But, as we delve deeper into the top 10, the search terms become a bit more interesting. The next three terms -- "ufc" "saw" and "bakugan" -- really threw us for a loop. Saw? Really? Bakugan? What is that, a gun that uses evil Japanese spirits for ammo? Actually, that sounds pretty cool.Further into the list, we see that Batman: Arkham Asylum managed to put a batarang in the fifth spot, much lower than we'd like, but we can live with that -- however, coming in at the sixth spot is Twilight. Guys! Vampires. Do. Not. Sparkle. Seventh was FIFA 2010, followed by Modern Warfare in eighth. The ninth spot belonged to Transformers 2, which we must admit has one of this year's best performances by a human male, so that seems okay. Finally, Resident Evil 5 rounded out the list in last place.
Comic-Con 2009: James Wan whipping up Castlevania film
James Wan would like to play a game -- and then convert it into a film. Bloody Disgusting reports that the writer and director – who helped construct the "Saw" horror movie factory – will bring Konami's storied Castlevania series to the big screen for producer Paul W.S. Anderson. "I'll be working on the script with a writer to give it a new spin, different to the previous versions," said Wan. "This will have my stamp on it which Konami is very excited about." Though we worry that Wan's stamp will be so large as to obscure all the cool action in the movie, he at least exhibits some familiarity with the franchise's androgynous protagonists. "For once, the human hero is as sexy and dangerous as the vampire villain, and his weapon of choice was what attracted me to the project in the first place – The Vampire Killer Whip." Oh yes, the whip, that's important. No matter how the project turns out (if it even turns up), we at least hope to be in the cinema when it's revealed to general audiences that "Alucard" is really "Dracula" backwards. What a twist! [Image: Bloody Disgusting]
Joystiq hands-on: Saw
Click to enlarge Based on the brief teaser trailer released at the beginning of the month, our initial expectations of Konami and Zombie Studios' Saw video game were ... well, they didn't really go beyond visions of one gory minigame after another. Having now played it, we realize that, while those minigames are definitely there, there's a third-person game that shows hints of Silent Hill and Condemned: Criminal Origins in-between.Due out on Halloween, the game is about as far from Zombie's America's Army franchise as the developer can get in the action genre -- unless this is considered a training game for the event you're ever locked inside an asylum by a lunatic who wants you to solve twisted puzzles or die. The as-of-yet unnamed player character must not only pass the maniacal Jigsaw's tests; there are also others roaming the run-down facility's halls -- some who have already failed their tests and others who believe killing the player will set them free.%Gallery-49993%
First Saw trailer fails to frighten, teases Konami event
Saw developer Zombie Studios apparently doesn't want us to see much of the movie license-based game it's working on. At least, that's what this first teaser trailer implies, as it features a maddeningly cheap shot of "gameplay," though it does suggest we'll see more on April 9 at Konami Gamer's Night from the newly confirmed publisher. Of course, that means another torturously long week of waiting. But, hey, at least that beats even one long day of waiting in a tortuously cruel room full of people you're loosely connected to in real life, eh?%Gallery-49262%
Konami will seize 'Saw' license
Konami's upcoming Silent Hill "re-imagining" doesn't mark its only forthcoming foray into the horror genre. According to The Cut Scene, the publisher has confirmed that it will seize Saw for an upcoming licensed game, hoping to balance the film franchise's gore and depraved puzzles with ... well, the gore and depraved puzzles one might expect to encounter in a video game. Konami's marketing director, David Daniels, saw fit to label the move as a no-brainer, what with Saw having seen ticket sales of "over $600 million worldwide" and having sold over 16 million DVDs. Once considered as deceased publisher Brash's last chance at rising above mediocrity, the Saw game will be completed by developer Zombie and released alongside the next film -- Saw VI, in case you lost track -- this Fall on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.Tasking you with navigating an asylum and defusing Jigsaw's trademark deathtraps, the Saw game promises to adopt an overt style of horror and make you "turn away from the screen for just a moment because of the visual intensity." Experience some of that visual intensity for yourself in the gallery below:%Gallery-49262%
Variety: Konami wants to play a game, picks up Saw rights
Variety's sources are claiming that Konami has picked up the rights from Lionsgate to publish games based on the Saw movies. The publisher allegedly nabbed the rights following the closure of previous rights owner Brash Entertainment. Licensed game aficionados -- there have to be some of you out there -- will be thrilled to learn that Konami plans to release its first Saw title in time for the release of the next film, which is ... let's see ... Saw VI. The game will be developed by Zombie Studios, best known for its work on Super Bubble Pop America's Army.Apparently, Lionsgate had considered developing the game internally -- which would have been the first time the company had attempted game development -- but eventually decided to license the property to an experienced publisher instead. Probably a good idea. The game will reportedly be available on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.
Pizza Pro: like a circular saw for your pizza pies
As with the tried and true toaster, the traditional pizza cutter has gone far, far too long without a redesign. Don't get us wrong -- the standard cutter seems to slice through Digiorno pies just fine, but it really doesn't add too much fun to the whole process. That's where Fred & Friends comes in. The unimaginatively named (and currently unpriced) Pizza Pro beautifully weds a circular saw with a pizza slicer, and while this thing doesn't actually rev up and send shreds of cheese, pepperoni and burnt crust flying when making its way from one side to the other, it certainly makes the art of carving up a pie for eight infinitely more enjoyable.[Via GearDiary]
Bloody Disgusting: Saw on the hunt for new publisher
Despite what we've heard before, it appears that a video game adaptation of gorenography hit Saw wasn't quite done enough to be finished up before developer Brash collapsed in on itself like a beautiful, dying star. Horror site Bloody Disgusting says that the game, which was close to completion, is now in need of a new home.This would be a slam dunk for Joystiq Publishing to pick up, were it not such a terrible, terrible idea for a game.
Brash layoffs result from 'tough economic landscape' [update]
Several weeks after another Brash Entertainment co-founder bolted and CEO Mitch Davis admitted his company had been "overly ambitious" in its first year, the publisher of really bad movie-based games has laid out a new "strategic cost reduction plan." Uh-oh, that sounds like ... you've got it: Layoffs. The company will axe 20 members of its staff and do away with several positions in the short term, reports GameDaily. The good news? Six Flags Fun Park for Wii and SAW are still on! Phew.Read Brash's official statement after the break.Update: Variety reports Brash has also stopped paying its developers and is attempting to "return" or sell off many of its licensed properties. Currently in limbo: Tale of Desperaux, Prison Break, Night at the Museum 2, Clash of the Titans, 300, and an announced Superman game (allegedly to be developed by Factor 5).
Horror filmmakers try hands at comedy on Xbox Live
Inside every horror filmmaker lurks a budding comedian struggling to claw its way out, showering the audience with the goo inside. At least that's Microsoft's hope, as this week the company tapped a handful of directors, known for creeping us out in films like Hard Candy and Friday the 13th, to create a set of freely downloadable comedy shorts for release globally this fall over Xbox Live to coincide with the service's major facelift.The brainchild of Slither's James Gunn and Peter Safran of Scary Movie infamy, the film series has a number of notable directors on board, including James Wan (Saw), David Slade (30 Days of Night), Lucky McKee (The Woods), Andrew Douglas (The Amityville Horror) and Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre). With each itching to trade in their bloody hatchets for hilarious, madcap antics, with now look forward to the filmmakers' unique take on what promises to be sidesplitting comedy.
Dead Space trailer by Saw director James Wan
Splat Pack member James Wan is the director of the pre-E3 Dead Space trailer. The atmosphere and style of Wan's most famous flick Saw is evident in the video, with protagonist Issac Clarke docking the spaceship USG Ishimura after a distress call only to find the crew a bit ... changed. The release date is again revised; now it appears the game will be arriving on October 21st.
