what consumes me, bud caddell » Gadgets

Yoshimoto Cube Blows My Mind then Fries My Brain [Gadgets]

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:15:00 +0000

I have played this video again and again, trying to figure out what's going on here. I can't. My brain is fried. Yoshimoto Cube has fried my brain and it's not even 2009 yet.

According to the description, the Yoshimoto Cube transforms into two stellated rhombic dodecahedrons. Which is a fancy way to say "the Yoshimoto Cube transforms your brain into pineapple jelly". [Reddit]

mix tape is really a portable dj mixer

technabob — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:45:36 +0000

On the surface, this shiny box looks like an old school cassette tape that’s been 24-karat gold plated. But take another look, and you’ll see that it’s actually a pocket-sized audio mixer for combining sounds from a pair of audio devices. The Mi...

yorozu sound resolution: any surface is a speaker

technabob — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:00:08 +0000

Got a spare cardboard box lying around? How about an old suitcase? Why not turn your junk into a speaker? Fresh from the streets of Japan, the Yorozu Audio Sound Revolution kit lets you transform just about anything into a speaker. Simply mount the Y...

time tuner clock: analog face, digital brain

lambert v. — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:46:42 +0000

Istanbul-based Antrepo design industry took the classic analog radio tuner and gave it a sleek makeover with the time tuner alarm clock. Instead of frequencies, the scale on the clock’s face has the hour marks arranged in a line. Keeping with the th...

TiVo Completes The Evening TV Dinner: Adds Domino’s Pizza Ordering [Tivo Pizza]

Kit Eaton — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Ahh...digitally controllable TV, and the chance of fresh tasty pizza: That's what TiVo and Dominos Pizza are now offering. Broadband-connected TiVo users will be able to order pizza for delivery or pick-up (though that'd involve leaving the comforting hug of your sofa's cushions...crazy!) and then can even track the progress all via the TiVo interface. It starts today, it's free to broadband TiVo subscribers, and the only inconvenience is having to pay in cash when the food arrives. Press release below.

LVISO, CA & ANN ARBOR, MI ??? November 17, 2008 ??? TV has never tasted this good. That???s because TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), and Domino's Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, have teamed up to give broadband connected TiVo subscribers the ability to order pizza for delivery or pick-up, and track delivery timing, right from their TV sets using the TiVo?? service. It???s a service that cooks up the perfect pizza purchasing recipe.

???Our commitment to customer satisfaction is what has helped us become the leader in the global pizza delivery market, said Rob Weisberg, vice president of precision and print marketing at Domino???s Pizza, Inc. ???We are confident that teaming with TiVo on this novel, easy, and convenient way to order pizza right from the TV will be very well received by our customers. This is the first step in the future of customer interactions with the brands they seek to engage with and buy from. This is the first time in history that the ???on-demand??? generation will be able to fully experience couch commerce by ordering pizza directly through their television set. You???ll see a television ad for Domino???s and you???ll click ???I want it??? through your remote. In about 30 minutes, your pizza will show up at your door.???

Karen Bressner, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales, TiVo Inc said, ???Joining forces with Domino???s Pizza creates an effective marketing and commerce tool for Domino???s while enhancing and further distinguishing TiVo as the ultimate way to watch TV with a closed-loop advertising experience. This exciting new partnership offers yet another advertising solution as commercial avoidance continues to increase. With just a few clicks of the remote, TiVo users can order a pizza, then sit back, relax, and enjoy their program. Now, TiVo delivers the absolute best television viewing experience???and a pizza.???

TiVo subscribers can seamlessly access their Domino's Pizza order from various advertising entry points on the TiVo user interface including Gold Star Sponsorship, Program Placement, Interactive Tags in live TV spots, and through Music, Photos, Products, & More by clicking on ???Order Your Pizza.??? TiVo is serving up a piping hot new service that???s truly made to order and gives a whole new meaning to the term ???TV dinner.???

TiVo subscribers can set-up a user name and password on Dominos.com so that each time they use their TiVo remote to place an order, they can log-in with a simple account number. Alternatively, TiVo subscribers can enter their delivery address, build their pizza order right from the television set by selecting type of crust, toppings, and sauces, and get the pizza delivered by their local Domino???s Pizza.

Bressner added: ???Our commitment to revolutionizing interactive advertising and commerce on the television is a direct result of the innovative solutions and features we provide. TiVo???s growing list of interactive features also includes the ability to find and purchase products on Amazon.com related to a customer???s favorite TV show or the convenience of being able to search for a movie that???s playing nearby and purchase tickets through Fandango ??? all by using the TiVo remote.???

Starting today, this new service is free of charge to all broadband connected TiVo subscribers and supports both delivery and pick-up orders. Viewers pay in cash when the pizza is delivered.

[Zatznotfunny]

Amazing Fly Stick Levitating Toy Doesn’t Need Spells, Just Static Electricity [Magic]

Kit Eaton — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:45:00 +0000

"Wow!" was basically my reaction to this video of the Fly Stick levitating toy in action, followed by the realization that this is about as near as you'll ever get to really playing with magic (or the Force, my inner geek reminded me). Of course the forces it uses are all very real: it's a mini battery-powered Van der Graaf generator, and it uses electrostatic repulsion to keep some 3D mylar shapes aloft. So you don't need to utter "wingardium leviosa!" or indeed "use the force!" to make it work, but that's not going to stop hundreds of delighted users from doing so, now is it? Out now for $27. [ThinkGeek via OhGizmo]

Death and Taxes Shows Fascinating, Terrible View on Military Tech Spending [Military Technology Spending]

Jesus Diaz — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 06:45:00 +0000

Death and Taxes 2009 is a detailed graphical account showing where your tax dollars will go next year in the most detailed and fascinating way: Everything is set to scale according to the amount of money spent on it, showing the amazing weight that military-related spending has in the total Federal budget. It's just mindblowing to see it all with one look. It's easy to get amazed with military technology and, like with Dubai's architecture and its slaves, I keep forgetting how much money really gots into developing hypersonic missiles, airborne lasers, invisible bombers, next generation fighters, body piercing tanks, torpedoes capable of splitting a huge ship in two, ever-vigilant drones, scary helmets, and other deadly gadgets. When you zoom in the interactive map, the numbers are just staggering.

For sure, the military research and manufacturing that Darpa or companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin do not only push the scientific and industrial envelopewith long term benefits for everyoneand some may argue that it provides with work and fuels the economyalthough this is kind of a fallacy and a vicious circlebut seriously, is this the only way to achieve it? What about the rest of the stuff?

Hopefully, this will all change. Someday. [Wall Stats via Dark Roasted Blend]

DARPA’s Acoustic Coagulation Cuff Stops Internal Bleeding with Sound Waves [Medical]

Adam Frucci — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Internal bleeding is bad, bad news, especially if you're on the battlefield and far away from a hospital. That's why the military is very interested in any technology that can help stop internal bleeding that can be applied by people other than doctors. And they may have come upon a pretty amazing solution: an ultrasound cuff that uses sound waves to stop internal bleeding. Amazing.

DARPA is working on what they've dubbed the Deep Bleeder Acoustic Coagulation Cuff (DBAC). It's a "semi-automated, ultrasound device designed to cut blood loss and shock resulting from combat limb injuries, one that can be operated by any GI with minimal training." Since an injured soldier can lose up to 25% of their blood volume while waiting to be transported, it would be hugely helpful to be able to stop that bleeding and stabilize them before being treated in a hospital.

By focusing a high-powered ultrasound beam at the bleeding area, the cuff can coagulate the blood and stem the bleeding quickly. They're hoping to have a prototype ready within 18 months. [CNET]