Sentry
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Tesla may offer remote access to your car's Autopilot cameras
A code sleuth claims Tesla will let you remotely livestream video from its cars' Autopilot cars, likely in the name of security.
Ring announces a security camera and alarm for your car
Ring is building a dashcam and car alarm to protect your ride.
Undersea robots find key clue to a mysterious shipwreck
Robots just helped shed light on a maritime tragedy. The US Coast Guard, National Transportation Safety Board and Woods Hole Oceanographic have used both an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and a fiber-controlled craft to find the voyage data recorder of the El Faro, a cargo ship that sank near the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin last October. That's no mean feat when its remains are 15,000 feet deep, and the recorder is roughly the size of a coffee can. The recovery should not only help explain the exact circumstances of the El Faro's final moments, but provide some closure to the families of the 33 crew members that lost their lives.
Defend your desk with a 3D printed rubber band auto-gun
If you work with a bunch of sticky-fingered co-workers, your desk is going to need protecting -- especially when you're away at lunch. This 3D-printed sentry gun from Swiss engineering student Kevin Thomas is motion-activated and fires a 6-round clip of rubber bands at anybody foolhardy enough to come within range. It's controlled with an Arduino chip running Thomas' version of the open-source Project Sentry Gun software. And if you don't want to let the sentry gun have all the fun, you can also switch it from autonomous mode and manually aim it using a joystick. With all the eyes you'll put out and SBC violations you'll incur with this menacing mechanization, you and the HR department are going to become such good friends.
iOS Task Switcher concept explores feature's potential
The Verge forums user Sentry posted the concept art you see above for the (underutilized) iOS task switcher, and I think it's awesome. Sentry's vision adds a lot of worthwhile information to the multitask bar without sacrificing the clear layout. The app thumbnails are great, but I really like the various controls for music, WiFi and Bluetooth. It's such a pain to have to dig down into the Settings app every time I need to switch one of those on my phone or iPad, and having them accessible with just a double-tap and a swipe would be excellent. I already heavily use the audio controls that pop up when you double tap the iOS Home button while your device is locked, and sliding them into the task switcher seems like a no brainer. iOS 6, of course, was just released, so we're now waiting for Apple to tell us what's next with the portable operating system. Hopefully, an excellent revamp of the task switcher like this is being worked on right now. [via RazorianFly]
Valve taunts us with prospect of official Portal 2 sentry turret replica (video)
A Holy Grail of gamer memorabilia is the Portal turret replica -- as much a tech toy as proof that you can sing "Want You Gone" from memory. It's already been coveted when made in small batches by fans, so you can imagine the hysteria when Valve Software itself posts a teaser video (found after the break) at its store's Facebook page showing what looks to be a near life-size, computer-linked version of Aperture Science's typical sentry from Portal 2, minus the laser targeting and live machine guns. After that, however, we're left to guess whether or not it's just a decoration for Valve's offices or a commercial product to buy alongside a Companion Cube plushie. We've asked Valve about providing more details in the near future and will let you know if the developer is any more talkative than its robot guards.
GAEMS G155 Sentry suitcase for Xbox 360 hands-on
Gamer on the go? Sure, Nintendo's 3DS or Sony's PS Vita might get you by, but neither can quite deliver the full-bore experience of a home console. To get their fix, Xbox 360 gamers with room for one more carry-on will want to turn to GAEMS. The company is showing off its G155 Sentry "personal gaming and entertainment environment" at E3 this year -- a so-called PGE. It's basically a suitcase into which you strap an Xbox 360 before connecting it to the integral LCD and more powerful stereo speakers (complete with Bose-style bass channel). That LCD is a 15-inch, LED-backlit 720p model with pretty terrible viewing angles, just like the older G155. In fact, we're hard-pressed to see many differences here between the currently available G155 and this beyond what looks to be a shinier logo on the back -- which you can replace with custom ones for a bit of customization. It does appear to be very well constructed, a suitably safe way to lug your console about. Check out some more pictures in the gallery below, and tune back in soon when we check out the so-called Project Vanguard, which we're told is a properly all-new design. GAEMS G155 Sentry suitcase for Xbox 360 hands-on Gamer on the go? Sure, Nintendo's 3DS or Sony's PS Vita might get you by, but neither can /quite/ deliver the full-bore experience of a home console. There's nothing like the real thing, and Xbox 360 gamers with room for one more carry-on will want to turn to GAEMS. The company is showing off its G155 Sentry "personal gaming and entertainment environment" -- a PGE, they call it. It's basically a suitcase into which you strap an Xbox 360 before connecting it to the integrated LCD and stereo speakers (complete with Bose-style bass channel). That LCD is a 15-inch, LED-backlit 720p model with pretty terrible viewing angles, just like the older G155. In fact, we're hard-pressed to see many differences here beyond what looks to be a shinier logo on the back -- which you can replace with custom ones for a bit of customization. Check out some more pictures in the gallery below, and tune back in soon when we check out the so-called Project Vanguard, which we're told is a properly all-new design.
Weta Workshop builds real-life TF2 sentry gun, minus the screaming and blood (video)
Weta Workshop is filled with engineers, and that means they solve problems. Practical problems. For instance, how Valve Software is going to keep its throng of Team Fortress 2 players in awe. The answer? Use a gun. Like this heavy-caliber, tripod-mounted, fastidiously crafted life-size reproduction of The Engineer's level 1 Sentry Gun, which features a bona fide motion sensor for tracking whosoever is fool enough to venture into Valve's geektastic lobby in Bellevue, Washington and touch the darn thing. We're ready to volunteer. Video after the break.
South Korea enlists armed sentry robots to patrol DMZ
South Korea has been working on deploying armed sentry robots along the border with North Korea since at least as far back as 2006, and it looks like it's still keeping at it. While complete details are a bit light, they country apparently put a pair of new sentry robots in place in the Demilitarized Zone last month, which pack both a machine gun and a grenade launcher to ward off intruders. Those would of course be controlled by humans, but the robots apparently use heat and motion sensors to do all the monitoring on their own, and simply alert a command center if they spots a trespasser. Of course, they are still just in the testing phase, and the military says it's waiting to see how things work out before it begins a more widespread deployment. Update: According to Stars and Stripes, the gun-toting robot in question is a Samsung Techwin SGR-1 (now pictured above). If the video after the break is any indication, South Korea certainly seems to have made the right choice.
NZXT's Sentry LXE touchscreen fan controller turns you into Storm, minus the cheese
We know, you're probably scoffing at those mortals still using "fans" to "cool their gaming rigs," but unless you've thrown down the cheddar on a swank liquid cooling solution, you'll probably find yourself at least mildly interested here. NZXT has taken a break from the mice and keyboard routine to break out a rather unique piece of kit in the Sentry LXE. This touchscreen fan controller connects to one's desktop via PCIe, and from there provides finger control of up to five internal fans. Users can adjust each one individually, set it to automatically keep the machine at a given temperature or create a silence that would spook even the Reaper. As you'd expect, there's an inbuilt temperature alarm to notify you if temps head north of a designated point, and all this fun awaits you in exchange for a low, low $59.99. Head on past the break if you're in need of a video demonstration.
Chinese manufacturer sticks IP webcam on robot vacuum, calls it a day
WiFi-controlled sentry robots have been our playthings for a few years now, but sure as Sunday morning, they don't help us get much work done. Why would you, when you can discreetly spy on your house, kids and neighbors from the convenience of a web browser? That's what we thought. But now, there's a robot to assuade your guilty conscience: the G182, a complete VoIP webcam system built on top of a pseudo-Roomba. Sure, a Roomba-cam isn't really anything new, but while you wait for the real deal to shake off its economic funk (if it ever does), this yellow disc is the next best thing. For the low, low price of $500, you can once again feel like you're accomplishing something -- vacuuming floors and yelling at the kids to do chores -- while dodging the daily grind. Full specs and loads more pics at the source link.
WowWee's Rovio gets reviewed: it's one awesome robotic sentry
WowWee goes out of its way to make one thing very clear about the Rovio: "this is not a toy." That being said, it doesn't make the patrolling sentry any less fantastic, as critics over at Robots-Dreams proclaimed that it was "intuitive and a pleasure to use from the moment you first open the box." From the painless setup process to the unparalleled mobility, reviewers sounded like they were grinning from ear-to-ear during the entire writeup process. It performed its robotic sentry duties with vigor and valor, and the review crew couldn't help but note that this bugger was "positioned to be the hottest robot for the upcoming holiday season, and for a long time to come." In other words, if you've been on the fence about dropping three bills on this thing, all your worries about it potentially sucking just got thrashed.
WowWee's patrolling Rovio gets unboxed
WowWee's Rovio isn't due to start shipping to the general populace for a few days still, but the mighty important folks over at RobotsRule were somehow able to procure one a hair early. Thankfully for us, it took the time to neatly unbox this home sentry and give us an up-close look at what it's made of. A full-fledged review is promised within the next few days, but for now, just hit the read link and enjoy the shots.
Case modder crams PC into homegrown Team Fortress 2 sentry
We find it impossible to think that anyone in attendance of a local LAN party wouldn't be awestruck when this rig waltzed in, and truthfully, we'd be a little distracted by its boyish good looks all the while. TiTON -- the same mastermind that brought us the Team Fortress 2 Dispenser -- has recreated a TF2 sentry that (unfortunately) fires no real shells at enemies. On the upside, it does pack enough hardware to enable gamers to light up rebel forces within a digital realm, but just like your 16th birthday cake, this one may be too pretty to indulge in. Tap the read link for lots more images and a breakdown of the build.
EMT Paintball Sentry Turret renders your personal militia useless
Automated paintball machines have been spotted holding down a-many of forts, but it's still been relatively hard to find one pre-built and ready for purchase. Enter Evolution Model Technology, whose Paintball Sentry Turret is mighty enough to mow down even the deepest of crosstown rival cliques trying to get up in your area. Arriving in wired and wireless versions, the unit is available with water- or winter-proof armor, can be controlled remotely and features a head that rotates 350-degrees and tilts 90-degrees. Best of all, the cold blooded plastering machine can be customized to the hilt for those living in seriously dodgy locales, but considering the $1,399.50 (and way, way up) price tag, you better have one incredible stash of valuables to protect before pulling the proverbial trigger.[Via technabob]
Army orders 24 new sentry-bots, Judgment Day moved up two months
Sure, you laughed yesterday when you heard professor Noel Sharkey warn against the impending, apocalyptic man vs. machine battle that was to come, but this news may have you singing a different tune. A pilot program in Nevada which employed robotic sentries to patrol Hawthorne Army Depot is getting an upgrade: 24 brand new drones called MDARS, or "Mobile Detection and Assessment and Response System." The $40 million purchase will nab the Army diesel-powered robots which operate at speeds up to 20 MPH, use RFID tags to keep track of locks and barriers, and can run for 16 hours without refueling. Though the bots have been tested with automatic weapons, these new versions will be equipped with non-lethal armaments, thus making them considerably less deadly when Skynet goes online.[Via Wired]
Sentry and Maxtor team up for SentrySafe FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof safe and drives
When most people express concern and worry about data loss, it's usually due to the more common cases: drive failure, accidental deletion, power surges from lightning storms, etc. Not so often do drive companies cater to those with paranoia of fire / flood / acts of God, etc. crowd, but for that crowd SentrySafe and Maxtor have teamed up on the FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof safe and drive. The drive is essentially a OneTouch 4 Mini decked with backup, restore, and recovery software (like Maxtor SafetyDrill) and a tank-like shell that's rated for 30 minutes of fire protection up to 1,500°F; the safe is merely, well, a safe with a driveless USB passthrough and fire protection up to two hours at 1,800°F. You'll have to plunk down a fairly crazy $320 for the 160GB and $260 for the 80GB drives though, and $420 for the safe, so be forewarned: this is only useful data protection if you're fearful of what happens when bits meet the elements. The drives are single disk enclosures -- not RAID -- and thus have no redundancy themselves should an old fashioned drive crash occur.%Gallery-10234%
Autonomous sentry gun looks to mow down Defcon
Hand crafted autonomous turrets aren't anything unusual, but rather than piecing together a masterful creation with pre-fab parts, the folks over at Burnt Popcorn managed to take things one step further. After finding that cheaper AirSoft guns lacked the accuracy they craved, they decided to "make their own mechanism to fire BBs." The goal of the project was to enter the Defcon Bots competition and craft a machine that could "shoot down all the targets before the other person does." Of course, the actual programming involved in building this eagle-eyed shooter is a bit more extensive than can be covered here, but if you're looking for a pretty thorough guide complete with video demonstrations, be sure and give the read link a minute of your time.[Via MAKE]
South Korean "gun-toting sentries" to protect, serve
South Korea has unveiled the latest piece of evidence that the future is finally upon us: it's supplementing its soldiers manning the border with North Korea with "gun-toting sentries" that can detect baddies and kill them. Or as Lee Jae-Hoon, deputy minister of commerce, industry and energy told the Agence France Press: "The Intelligent Surveillance and Guard Robot has surveillance, tracking, firing, and voice recognition systems built into a single unit." The South Korean government is expected to buy 1,000 of these robots at the cost of $200,000 apiece and will deploy them along its northern border, coastal regions and military airfileds. However, it's unclear what would happen if Kim Jong Il were to send in a legion of pilfered remote-controlled domestic robots as a countermeasure -- that is, if these robotic sentries would be willing to fire on their own kind.Update: Eagle-eyed reader (and likely Korean speaker) Jihan J. happened upon a Korean site with pics and an actual video of this bot in action. Go on and check it out -- that is, if you like watching robots shoot automatic weapons wildly in every direction.
