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Xbox, Xbox 360 taken to console heaven by water jet cutter
While there's no shortage of interesting ways to dissect (or completely obliterate) your favorite gizmo, this one came straight out of left field but still manages to impress. If you've never been around a pressure washer and had vivid thoughts of cutting up your precious Microsoft console with it, you're probably in the (vast) majority, but the zany folks over at Waterjets fulfilled their own fantasies. Offered a bunch of malfunctioning Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles, they put their laser water cutting skills to the test by making an "X" out of an original Xbox, carving out Xbox logos from the circuit boards, and creating a hole in the middle of an Xbox 360. Sure, the utility here is questionable, and the methods are most certainly unorthodox, but we can't deny the wow-factor. So if you're interested in seeing just what else happens when that oh-so-powerful jet gets fired up, be sure to hit the read link for the full rundown of slicing and dicing.[Via MAKE]
OCZ kicks out liquid-cooled PC2-9200 FlexXLC Edition memory
Sure, liquid-cooling your gadgetry is oftentimes done to prove your 1337-ness, but in cases like Apple's oh-so-toasty Dual G5 PowerMac and Microsoft's notoriously warm Xbox 360, we consider the task quite appropriate. In OCZ's case, however, we're leaning towards the unnecessarily flashy side, as the company's PC2-9200 FlexXLC (Xtreme Liquid Convention) Edition memory touts both air and water cooling possibilities. Dubbed the "world's fastest DDR2 RAM" at 1,150MHz, the modules feature an eight-layer PCB which hinders crosstalk and improves signal integrity, and sports a "fin-like heatsink" to waft warmth away from the components. Moreover, it also boasts liquid-dispersing units that pass water across copper lines to cool things off when taxing your system. While we're not sure how much this showstopping memory will run you, it does feature a lifetime warranty in case the liquid decides to boil over and create a bonafide disaster.[Via Electronista]
Quiet those kids with a in-car video server
Robert Cringely from PBS has built a video server in his minivan to have his kids stop bothering him. For only $190, he built a custom computer that would encode video in H.264 (AVC) codec and stream it to a PSP he had installed in the back of the vehicle. Why the PSP? Because it "plays movies beautifully."While Bob doesn't go into details on how one would be able to fashion a video server for themselves, he does give a very interesting tidbit: "Though not advertised as such, the PSP is EXTREMELY water-resistant."Of course, I haven't verified that claim. Nor will I try to.[Via DCemu]
Wave-powered Edinburgh Duck desalinates seawater
Sure, in theory we could use the LifeStraw to purify enough water to quench the thirst of thousands of people, and if Aqua Sciences proves successful in its endeavor to pull water out of thin air, desalinating the seas could prove unnecessary. Nevertheless, Stephen Salter at Edinburgh University in the UK is working with a research team to perfect the "Edinburgh Duck" and provide useful water for needy individuals. The desalinating critters convert wave energy into pressure changes that aid the collection of pure water (in the form of steam) from seawater; by lowering air pressure, the system can draw steam from water at lower temperatures. The pressure-driven machines operates sans electricity by using the crashing motion of waves to operate its innards in a "piston-like motion," slowly but surely creating salt-free water that's pumped back ashore through the two legs that tether the duck to the seabed. Although current prototypes are only pumping air, finalized units could be 10 meters in diameter and 20 meters long -- a device large enough to supply water for "more than 20,000 people." While we're sure the targeted audience here is arid countries with good access to seawater, those days at the beach would be much more enjoyable without generous helpings of NaCl finding their way into our mouths.[Via Slashdot]
Cellphone water detection sticker haphazardly voids warranties
Sure, nearly every carrier out there offers insurance for your phone, but reaching a fair settlement on your defunct device becomes a bit more difficult when you nonchalantly turn down the costly coverage, only to have a manufacturer's defect render your mobile useless. In an apparent attempt to bypass efforts to make phones more resistant to water seepage, certain cellphone makers have resorted to placing "water detection stickers" just within the phone's casing. These tell-tale pads turn to alternate colors if any moisture makes its way in, giving companies the perfect excuse to nullify warranties regardless of whether the malfunction was actually water-related. While we certainly imagine that waterlogged phones are among the highest claimed for replacement, this tiny sensor makes voiding a warranty an exercise in simplicity, as even a brief call while scurrying through the rain could eliminate any future coverage. While it has been said that placing a piece of "satin finish scotch tape" over the pad will forestall the colors from a-changin', just be sure to remove that extra bit of evidence before pleading your case.[Via Gadgetopia]
Aibo can swim!
The operating parameters for the Aibo -- when it was alive -- were pretty much in line with standard tech: no extreme temperatures, and a maximum of around 80% humidity unless you want your virtual dog to turn into a twitching mess. Adding a little realism to the post-Aibo era is the pictured "swimming costume", which allows the lovable electric doggy to take a dunk like its flesh and blood brethren. No word on whether the students behind the research project programmed the dog so it'd shake off excess water in front of the nearest stranger, as is so often the case with real life canines.[Via pasta and vinegar]Read - Aibo water suitRead - Swimming Aibo
Vice City's watery playground
It's common knowledge that you'll now be able to play in the water in the PSP's Vice City Stories. Although swimming was introduced in the PS2's San Andreas, this handheld iteration of the popular series will feature the most complex water-based gameplay in the franchise's history, according to IGN. Each vehicle in the game will respond to the game's new water physics model: they'll bob in the water, be affected by currents and be slowed down by drag. (It's like you're buying GTA and getting Wave Race for free.) Using the jet-ski, you'll be able to do drive-by shootings on the water, terrifying rich boat owners. The APV sounds exciting, as you'll be able to drive it around and enter the water when you really need to make a dramatic getaway.With speedboats, yachts, sailboats, zodiacs, airboats, and more, Vice City Stories "might have the largest collection of sea-based vehicles in gaming history," which is especially impressive when you consider the platform's diminuitive size. By making the waterways important to gameplay, gamers can expect tons of mini-games: swimming events, boat and jet ski races. Heck, if you feel like being a good guy and wash your hands of all the sin you're committing, there's no better way than to partake in a water rescue mission. Is anyone else concerned that this game might feature too much content?Vice City Stories hits stores at the end of this month.
Aqua Sciences extracts water from thin air
It's no secret that there's water galore in our atmosphere, but prior attempts to harvest that moisture in any sort of efficient manner have been rather unsuccessful. Well, now a Florida based company, cleverly titled Aqua Sciences, has busted out a 20 foot machine that can harvest 500 gallons of water per day, and is currently showing it off to the US government for the use by military types in Iraq, for disaster relief and for other humanitarian purposes. The machine can operate on a minimum 15 percent humidity, and brings the cost of getting water to Iraq down from $30 per gallon to 30 cents per gallon. They're reluctant to reveal their "secret sauce," which they liken to the KFC recipe, suddenly making us rather hungry, but they do mention that their process uses salt to extract water and act as a natural decontamination method, similar to how nothing grows near the Dead Sea because the salt dehydrates everything. While taking a brief respite from their out-of-control metaphor usage, Aqua Science also mentioned a 40 foot version of their machine which can produce up to 1,200 gallons per day of water, depending on conditions, and can purify an additional 8,000 gallons per day of existing contaminated water using an "integrated reverse osmosis module." We kind of wish they had a nifty metaphor for that one, because the Wiki article on the subject is little help, but we suppose we'll live. No word on when exactly this thing will be put into action, but it doesn't sound like they've entered into any sort of mass production of their machine yet.[Via Wired News]
Inventor patents laser microphone
It seems folks are just incessant in the quest to create new kinds of microphones, with a California-based inventor patenting the latest attempt in the form of the sure-to-be-Mini-Me-approved laser microphone. While most venues have those run-of-the-mill mics -- which typically enlarge diaphragm size to increase sensitivity -- David Schwartz thinks he has a better idea for picking up even the slightest peeps without introducing distortion. His device will reportedly stream damp air containing microscopic water particles through a tube, while a laser diode beams light through the vessel onto a sensor located on the opposite side. When sound waves enter the tube, the vibration of the droplets will cause the sensor to detect changes optically as the beam is disturbed, supposedly resulting in near-perfect vocal reproduction. While confident that the setup wouldn't induce wild fits of feedback, Schwartz's invention would presumably cost a pretty penny, and would likely only make a difference to those professional karaoke singers out there anyway.[Via New Scientist Tech]
Casio shows toned-down G'zOne for business folk
Say you're on the board of a global corporation based in Japan. Sure, you're just another suit from 9 to 5, but on the weekends it's a different story -- you do some deep-sea diving, downhill skiing... heck, maybe the occasional BASE jump. Where are you supposed to find a phone tough enough to keep ticking (while you're wrestling crocodiles, that is) without getting you fired in the boardroom with some wacky, "extreme" color scheme? Believe it or not, Casio's got your number. The G'zOne E03CA takes a cue from the W42CA's book, offering a QVGA internal and 100 x 100 display, microSD slot, EV-DO radio, and 2-megapixel cam in a beefy, water resistant package. That's where the similarity ends, though: unlike the wild W42CA, the laid-back E03CA looks more fit for the inside of a suit coat pocket than a snowboarding jacket. Businessfolk with a tendency to destroy phones can look for the latest G'zOne to drop this December on KDDI's au network in Japan.[Via I4U News]
NanoNuno: the water-repelling umbrella
So we've got umbrellas that are WiFi-enabled, iPod controllers, and wannabe meteorologists, but how about one that just keeps itself (and you) dry? Some crafty blokes in Britain are getting back to basics with the NanoNuno umbrella, which utilizes nanotechnology to create a canopy of minuscule fibers that water, dirt, and a host of other elements out there have a hard time adhering to. The idea was supposedly borrowed from the "natural phenomenon" witnessed on the Lotus leaf, which sports a similar, sleek surface that water simply rolls off. Since moisture can (presumably) not penetrate the surface, the company claims a simple shake or two will return the umbrella to the arid state it was in before braving the weather, but priced at £49.95 ($94), this probably only appeals to those stuck on the windward side of the island (or Seattle).[Via PopGadget]
NTT DoCoMo's liquid-inspired charge indicator
We have a hard enough time holding it between bathroom breaks as it is without being taunted by sloshing water on our phones, but we have to admit, it's pretty darn nifty nonetheless. It seems NEC's N702iS for NTT DoCoMo has a motion sensor that detects tilt, affecting the "liquid" inside the display appropriately. As battery level drops, so does the level of the liquid. Whimsical, yes, but when you're technologically dominating every other carrier in the world, we think you're afforded that luxury.[Via SlashPhone]
Practice safe dialing with "Skins"
In this harsh, dirty, unforgiving world we all call home, damaged and destroyed mobiles are a reality we can't easily escape -- unless you have 75 microns of latex between your phone and its surroundings, that is. Innovalife of The Netherlands is marketing "Skins," a tube-shaped rubbery apparatus designed to be rolled around your phone to provide near-total protection from "water, dirt, mud, paint, sweat, blood, snow and much more." Apparently, there is a slight loss in sound quality, but the phone remains otherwise completely functional. The Skins are available in a variety of colors for the kind of stylish protection today's youngsters, butchers, and painters demand -- yes, butchers and painters are a major part of Skins' target demographic. Unfortunately, we're going to have to roll the dice with our naked phones; we're guessing clamshells aren't invited to the party, and we don't think we get splashed with enough blood to encase our beautiful devices in thick, impersonal rubber anyway. [Via The Register]
Aquavision Waterproof TVs
Aquavision is taking TVs to place they had a very hard time going before: by water. It used to require a custom installation to have a TV by any type of water due to stream, condensation and the occasional splash. Aquavision has developed a LCD TV that plays nicely with all these things though. For instance, they feature heated screen areas to prevent condensation and fogging on the screen. The TVs also come with a floating, waterproof remote. The sets are available in 5 different finishes and turn into a mirror when turned off. (READ: lots of glare when turned on) They come in a variety of sizes that range all the way up to a 40-inch. These guys seemed to have think of everything though as there is even an option of a towel rack TV. O.K. now we have seen every possible place to put a TV. The company is based out of the U.K. so contact them to find your local dealer; if you have one.[via Luxist]
Robot Strider walks on water and, eventually, land
We know you're still reeling from the awesomeness that is the robotic panda and other more aquatically-inclined robots we've seen in the past, but the Strider is actually as useful as it is impressive. From what we gather from a trail of liberally translated links is that this radio-controlled bot, which is being developed at Japan's Chuo University, uses 6 legs to propel itself across the water like the ones MIT and Carnegie Mellon have been developing for a while. The outer legs are made of buoyant resin to keep it afloat, while the middle legs provide the driving force. Eventually the developers are hoping it will be able to move flawlessly from the water onto land, making it a valuable tool for aquatic rescues, especially when equipped with a camera. Even if it never gets that far, the videos on the source link suggest it would make a pretty killer pool toy.[Via Robot Watch]
WoW Moviewatch: Get My Water, Mage!
Today's video gives us a little slice of the demanding life of a water boy...I mean a Mage. I'm sure many of you can probably sympathize. Watch the clip; I think Samuel L. Jackson says it best....
